Kismet at the Tabu
by Darth-Taisha
Summary: Itahina, Modern AU. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...right?
1. Chapter 1

**Kismet At The Tabu**

_(Kismet ~ fate)_

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, just borrowing a few characters for a while.

**Dedication:** Winterkaguya for putting the idea in my head when she mentioned in a review I should write an Itahina that is modern and AU. You are a fabulous writer and I can only hope to be as good as you one day. I hope you like my attempt at a modern fic.

I also want to thank EmbraceDiversity (AKA Catriana) for writing a wonderful fic that is similar to this one called Ruby Slide, ah it is so awesome. The part where she had Itachi and Hinata dancing drunk, it was too hilarious…I have read it over at least twice now, thanks for updating it.

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**Summary:**_ What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right?._..

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Amidst the sound of pulsating music, Hinata looked around with satisfaction as her eyes wandered over the colorful displays of blue lights around the bar. Above the blue bottles on glass shelves, written in lights, was the name of the lounge.

Tabu.

Glancing around the room she drank in the exotic and trendy atmosphere, the music, the sound of happy people mingling around her, and the couple making out in the corner, somehow it all made her feel alive. It reminded her there was a lot more to life than just work.

Deep within her she longed to experience just a small taste of fun and excitement at least once in her life.

While she was by no means a party kind of girl (in fact most of the time she was the exact opposite) Las Vegas had always held a sort of forbidden fascination for her. Even in her homeland of Japan, the town was well known to be a place where one could lose their identity and become someone … almost mysterious. Right now the chance to be someone else for even a few days was indelibly sweet and tempting to her.

She desperately needed a break from being the Hyuuga heiress…

And just wanted to be Hinata for a while and forget about the rest of her very privileged but increasingly difficult life as a Hyuuga.

Her father was the CEO and founder of Hyuuga Global Industries (HGI), a multi-national corporation that had branches all over the world. After she had received her degree in Business Management she began working for her father at the corporation's headquarters branch in Tokyo.

A ghost of a shadow passed her eyes as she thought of all the demands that have been placed on her as her father's heir. Just thinking about all of them was making her feel like a spring that was being wound tighter and tighter by her father's unseen hand as he just wanted to see how far she could be twisted before she snapped.

Futile and sick frustration welled in her as she thought of how she just never could measure up to her father no matter how hard she tried. All her endless work, worrying, lost teen-age years and non-existent social life, all of it was never enough - he always wanted more from her.

A rebellious light entered her eyes as she looked over the drink menu in front of her. For the next few days she was out of the constant scrutiny of her father's ever critical gaze and the mountains of work he always placed on her, she meant to have fun and enjoy herself. Feeling rather daring, she decided to buy the most decadent and ridiculous sounding drink on the menu she could find.

Scanning over the drink menu her eyes lit up when she found just the perfect one. A grin formed over her face as she thought of the apoplexy her father would have if he saw her order something like that.

"Have you decided which drink you would like to order?" The good looking waiter asked her as he materialized beside her. Too embarrassed to say the name of the drink out loud she pointed a long manicured finger at the one she wanted.

The waiter raised his eyebrows at her choice; he had thought for sure she was the type to drink a martini or something along those lines. He could tell by looking at her that she was very classy and didn't seem the type of girl that would order _that_ drink.

"Are you sure that is the one you want?" He asked her with a slight amount of hesitation in his voice.

Hinata blushed as she looked down at the menu and nodded with quiet firmness, "Yes, I am sure, thank you," she told him and the waiter left to go put in her order.

A clammy hand ran over her bare shoulder and she automatically shrugged it off.

"Would you like to dance?" A blonde haired guy asked her in a slurred voice as he tried to put his hand on her shoulder again. She turned to look at him and found he reeked of alcohol and while he was cute with big muscles, she just wasn't interested. He was too cocky and sure of himself and she had no clue how to deal with someone like that.

Speaking in Japanese she apologized and pretended she didn't speak English as she refused to dance with him. The blonde's eyes drunkenly raked over her ample chest and lithe figure before shrugging his shoulders. "Whatever," he mumbled in a slightly bitter voice as he tried to salvage what was left of his ego.

As she watched him leave her cell phone rang and she mentally cringed already knowing who it was. Earlier in the night she had faked being tired and snuck out of her hotel dressed in a sexy black dress with a high neck that left her back all the way down to her hips completely bare. However, with her typical practicality, she threw fashion out the window and wore flat sandals instead of high heels as she planned to do a lot of walking tonight.

"Hello Neji," Hinata said as she answered the phone in a resigned voice.

"Where are you? Uncle Ko and I have been looking everywhere for you," her over-protective cousin yelled into the phone.

Hinata pulled the phone away from her ear, impressed that her cousin's yelling could even be heard over the blaring music and clamor of raised voices and laughter around her.

"I am fine, I just wanted to go explore on my own a while," she told him with a touch of longing in her voice as she really wasn't trying to worry him. She just needed to be by herself without Neji playing watch-dog over her.

Neji sighed, as he knew better than most just how awful her father treated her most of the time. The Hyuuga _princess_ was always being watched and was never let out on her own. "I understand Hinata, I am just worried about your safety and you know we have the conference to attend in the morning."

_Of course I know_, she thought to herself, knowing the business symposium was the reason she was here in the first place. At the last minute, her father was unable to attend and sent her and Neji in his place. Her Uncle Ko was also with them, but he was very unreliable and had a penchant for gambling and hanging out with women with loose morals, so her father did not trust him to represent the company on his own.

"I will be back in a few hours, I promise," she reassured him and her eyes opened wide when she saw her waiter bringing a giant frozen peach drink to her place at the bar. It even had a cute little unbrella sticking out of it.

"Here you go, one Sensual Peach Pleasure for the lady," the waiter told her as he set it down in front of her with a knowing grin.

"Thank you," Hinata told him as she handed him a fifty dollar bill and told him to keep the change.

"Whaat?" Neji's voice blasted in the phone almost causing Hinata to drop it, "Where are you…?" With shaky fingers Hinata's hung up the phone and turned it completely off, deciding she would deal with him later. Besides she wouldn't put it past him to try to trace her call to try to find her, he was very, very diligent when it came to protecting her.

_Sorry cousin_, she thought as she took a sip of her frozen peachy drink and almost moaned with delight. Closing her eyes in bliss, she took another long sip of the peachy alcoholic deliciousness and thought she was very close to being in heaven.

Until she got a massive brain freeze and leaned forward and put her face in her hands with a groan.

"May I join you?" She heard a voice beside her ask her in flawless Japanese.

As she heard his voice cut respectfully through the noise of the crowd and loud music several thoughts hit her at once. The first was mortification at someone catching her having a brain freeze; the second was surprise that she felt a little homesick and thought it would be nice to speak to someone who spoke her language. The third and most nerve–wracking thought was, that he had one of the most gorgeous sounding voices she had ever heard and somehow she just knew the rest of him was going to match it.

Taking a steadying breath, she turned and looked up into his dark eyes and felt her insides turn inside out as she felt a shock of recognition jolt through her. Looking away from him with a blush, she knew that it was crazy for her to think that, because she knew for sure she had never met him in her life.

He was a stranger, and if they had met before she definitely would have would have remembered him, he wasn't someone that she would have been able to forget. He was too… a soft sigh and a smile escaped her as she couldn't find the words to describe someone like him.

Hinata closed her eyes as she valiantly pulled herself together and looked over at him with a polite smile on her face, "Have we met before?" She asked before she could stop herself in Japanese and tried not to be utterly dazzled by him.

Still politely waiting for her to offer the seat next to her, a ghost of a smile tugged at his mouth as he took in her blush and let his eyes flick over the rest of her in admiration. "No, but I was hoping to rectify that," he told her in perfect English as his eyes glanced meaningfully at the seat next to hers.

A small embarrassed laugh escaped her as she figured out he must have overheard her tell that blonde guy she couldn't speak English. With a small guilty smile she offered the seat shyly to him in English. "Please join me, my name is Hinata."

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, he noted she was extending him the privilege of calling her by her first name. As he sat down next to her and pulled his chair closer toward hers, so they could hear each other over the noise, he picked up her subtle request to not pry too deeply into her background.

_Ah, a woman of mystery_, he thought as he was becoming amused, as well as intrigued. He had been watching her for a while and couldn't keep his eyes off her. From the moment he saw her enter the room and look around it with wide-eyed innocence he was captivated.

"Thank you, my name is Itachi," he told her with his face close to hers as he switched back to Japanese.

At hearing his name, a small nervous giggle escaped her as her brain translated what it meant, "Y-your n-name means w-weasel?" She choked out with a flicker of amusement in her eyes that quickly disappeared for fear that she was offending him.

Not offended at all, Itachi was pleased to see she was beginning to relax a little around him. In an attempt to make her feel even more comfortable he rolled his eyes in a self-deprecating way before stating wryly, "Hai, it is a family name."

In a fog, she vaguely remembered having heard the name once before when her father disparagingly compared her to the brilliant son of his rival, but she didn't want to ask the sort of questions that would force her to reveal her own background, so she didn't mention it.

Placing her hand over his in a soothing way she looked at him with anxious and compassionate eyes, "It is not a bad name, in fact, I think it suits you."

And then groaned after the words came out and she realized she had just inadvertently called him a weasel. Spinning away from him quickly, she almost spilled her drink, and she would have if his hand hadn't snaked out and caught it before it tipped over.

Her composure completely dismantled, Hinata mentally cringed as she put her elbows on the bar and hid her face in her hands. _Uhg, I am such an idiot_. At this point she almost wished he would just go away, he was just too much of a shock to her already overloaded system.

After only a few moments, that felt more like an eternity, she lifted her head and was a little surprised that he was still beside her and watching her with eyes that were unreadable to her.

"I am not offended at all," he told her as he was careful not to get too close to her and keep his tone polite. "In fact, I happen to agree with you, it does suit me."

At his attempt to cheer her, she couldn't help but smile helplessly at him before looking down at her hands on her lap. Since she didn't have a clue what to even say to him she kept silent and began sipping her drink.

Sitting over in the on a couch with several hot girls surrounding him, Sasuke looked over at his brother and raised an eyebrow in surprise. His humorless, pain in the ass, workaholic brother was actually interested in something other than business for once.

And judging by the amused and slightly possessive look on Itachi's face as he looked at the young woman next to him, he would definitely say he was very interested.

His curiosity to see who it was that had captivated his brother began to multiply exponentially within him.

As if hearing his unspoken wish, the girl turned her face a little toward Sasuke and he got a clear look at her face under the lights and there was no mistaking those distinctive lavender eyes of hers and long blue-black hair. A slow smirk curved his mouth as he wondered if his brother knew who it was he was putting the moves on.

Shrugging his shoulders he decided to keep the information to himself and let Itachi figure it out on his own…

Itachi turned and faced the bar and took a drink in silence and waited for her speak to him. Out of the corner of his eye he drank in her glossy blue-black hair, pure profile and the graceful, yet lithe curves of her body and was surprised at her lack of self-confidence.

In his experience, beautiful women were always conscious of their appeal, and the fact that she didn't seem to know it, only further added to her allure. His level of interest in her only grew stronger as the fact that she was practically ignoring him and seemed to be waiting for him to leave began to amuse him.

After all, it was a very novel experience for him because it had never happened before. In fact, it was usually just the opposite for him and his brother and he was inordinately tired of all it.

Petrified, Hinata sat next to him and felt almost on the verge of tears as she tried to figure out why he was still beside her and what possible attraction could someone plain and shy like her could hold for someone like him.

He was too amazing looking; too self assured and she had been around wealthy and powerful people long enough to recognize that he most certainly was one. And worst of all, he made her so nervous she couldn't even put a coherent thought together when he looked at her.

Her eyes began to dart toward the exit as she was considering giving him an excuse and then just leaving. She decided sadly, he would always be her ideal man; the one that when she was old and alone, she would think about and wonder what would have happened if she had the courage to stay and actually speak to him...

Not feeling at all brave tonight, she took a fortifying drink of her frozen peach drink and began to think of a suitable excuse to give him.

The music abruptly shifted into a slow song and several people around them began to find a place around all of the low flat tables and couches to dance.

"Come dance with me," Itachi's asked her in a low voice close to her ear. Without even giving her a chance to refuse, he wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her over to a dimly lit corner and put his hands around her slim shoulders. A foot away from him, Hinata was so tense she felt like a piece of plywood.

Acutely aware of him, she placed her hands around his narrow hips and kept her eyes firmly on the V of his shirt and tried not to think of what an amazing body he had. She began to move automatically with him to the music.

"Relax," his voice told her, but Hinata heard a hint of an order in it. A small smile formed on her face as she recognized he was a man of authority, who was used to being obeyed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and began to feel sick and embarrassed like some high school girl with her first crush. It wasn't like this was the first time she had danced with a man after all. She was twenty two and had been on several dates in the last few years, except they were usually with men who wanted to use her to get to her father and the power he could give them and the dates were always chaperoned. Besides her cousin Neji, she had never been alone with a man.

Itachi sighed and attempted to make conversation with her, "So where are you from?"

"Tokyo. You?" Came her stilted reply.

A small satisfied glint entered his eyes when he saw he was making progress. He found it ironic that he actually had to carry on the burden of making conversation, usually when he was with a woman, he couldn't get her to be quiet and all he had to do was nod his head at the appropriate times.

"I live in New York," he responded and deliberately left off what he did, so she wouldn't have to tell him what kind of work she was in. "When did you fly in to Vegas?"

At his continued attempts to break through her crushing shyness, she couldn't help but to begin to relax a little. Plus his hands were so warm and soothing as they slid over her shoulders and back. She felt herself inch closer to him in his arms.

"I arrived here this afternoon," she told him and finally felt brave enough to meet his eyes.

"Same here," he replied as he answered the unspoken question in her eyes. "Is this your first time here?"

Hinata nodded as she kept her eyes firmly on him, because she was afraid that if she looked away from him she wouldn't have the courage to do it again. Helpless to stop it, she felt herself sinking under the spell of his sensuous voice and dark eyes.

Feeling her begin to thaw against him, Itachi decided to disclose his interest in her more clearly and he pulled her all the way against him. She gasped as she felt his hard body come into contact with hers through her thin dress and a shiver ran down her spine.

"When do you leave?" He asked her as his face was only inches from hers. His eyes were serious as if he was asking something important from her.

"Friday," Hinata responded with a touch of confused longing on her face as she began to wonder what he wanted from her.

"That is when I leave," he responded soberly as his heavy-lidded dark eyes continued to watch her reactions to his words closely.

Hearing that he was leaving in four days like her, sent an unexplainable thrill through her, because all of his questioning and the way he was looking at her was beginning to make her realize he wanted to get to know her better.

"Are you seeing anyone?" She heard his deliberate voice ask her and she nearly jumped out of her skin in shock. _Of course I am not seeing anyone_; her mind automatically regurgitated as she knew her father would never allow it. Practically from the time she was born, she had known that one day he was going to arrange a marriage (or merger in her case) for business purposes.

Breathless that he was making his intentions blindingly clear to her, Hinata could only stare up at him with a stunned look on her face as she replied in a shaky voice, "No, I'm not."

A small smile formed on his face as he pulled away from her and after placing his hand on the small of her back, he began guiding her back toward their seats at the bar.

When they sat down, Itachi moved his chair so he was sitting very close to her with his leg touching the bare skin of hers. Her pulse began to race when she felt his eyes on her, watching her in a contemplative manner.

Feeling a bit nervous she took a long drink of her frozen peach slushy and began to feel warm from all of the alcohol in it. It tasted so good, she took another drink.

She saw he was still watching her so she offered him a taste, "Do you want to try it?"

"Yes," he told her as he deliberately lowered his eyes towards her lips as he took a sip of it. Itachi raised his eyebrows a little as he looked at her, "It's good, what is the name of it?"

Hinata blushed a fiery red as she reluctantly said the name out loud, "Sensual Peach Pleasure."

"I like it, the name is appropriate for it," he told her dryly as he inched even closer towards her with an amused look on his face.

A small laugh escaped her as she agreed with him; suddenly she was beginning to feel almost free, and a little tipsy as she watched him smile at her.

"Have you had dinner yet?" He asked her, and she felt his hand slide down her arm in a light caress.

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt him place his hand behind her back and began strumming it slowly over the edge of her dress.

"Well?" He asked her again, with a look in his eyes that told her he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

"I-I have already had dinner," she told him with an apology in her eyes.

His onyx eyes returned to hers and his lips quirked in a half smile, "Then we will have dessert."

Hinata swallowed nervously, as she felt like a guppy about to be swallowed by a shark. A ragged breath escaped her as she knew he was waiting for her to decide if she wanted to leave with him.

Her eyes looked nervously at the blue bottles behind the bar, as every rational thought told her that what she was about to do was a bad idea. _You hardly know him_, her mind blared out like blinking red sirens at her in warning.

He stood up and held out his hand, "Will you come with me?"

Hinata didn't know if it was the alcohol, or the way his eyes told her to say yes, but she threw caution to the winds and placed her hand in his.

"Yes, I will come with you."

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Updated: 4/13/12


	2. Chapter 2

**Kismet At The Tabu**

**Chapter 2**

_(Kismet ~ destiny)_

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Hinata was sure she was floating, yet anchoring her down with old world courtesy was a firm hand on her elbow guiding her into the back seat of the limo.

While she wasn't exactly drunk, she _was_ at the stage where she thought everyone and everything was 'nice' and that included her escort.

As she was entering the car she looked at him, "Oh, we are driving there?" Hinata asked a little surprised. "I don't mind walking you know (giggle) you are _so_ nice."

A small snort of laughter escaped him at being called nice, most people who knew him did _not_ consider him to be nice. He was known to be cold, ruthless and brutally efficient in the way he ran his business and personal life.

His father had put him in a position of authority from a very young age and he learned the hard way that most people could not be trusted. His attitude was almost sterile in that he didn't keep things or people that weren't necessary around him, keeping his business and personal life clean and clutter free.

"I am glad you think so," Itachi told her with a hint of dry amusement in his voice as he began to follow her into the backseat of the limo.

Standing by the car door was his driver, Sai, with a mocking grin on his face, "Oh, you're so nice, Itachi-sama," he teased in a high falsetto voice with the ease of a long-time family employee.

Itachi shot him a withering glare, "Shut up, Sai and take us to the Bellagio. Drive to the end of the strip first and then turn around and drop us off."

"Anything, for a _nice_ guy like you," Sai shot back with a smirk and a laugh as he closed the door behind his employer. _Keep it up Sai and I will fire your ass_, Itachi thought darkly as he watched his driver walk around and get in and start the car.

Sitting in his seat in the back with the glow of thousands of lights sparkling off the tinted car windows, a small grin spread over his mouth as he noticed Hinata was as far away from him as possible and smashed up against the door as she stared at all of the hotels, the crowds of people and the glittering lights.

He shook his head as he had never met a girl like her; she was completely different from most of them that he knew. Most women he knew would have been climbing all over him and trying to get him to spend lots of money on them.

As he watched her innocent enjoyment of her first time seeing the Las Vegas strip in all of its hedonistic glory, he began to feel jaded, like the weary world traveler he was. He had been to Las Vegas several times, so it really didn't excite him. He began to wonder if it ever did.

"Ah…" Hinata breathed out wistfully with sparkling eyes as she took in the brilliant scene in front of her, "Tonight almost feels magical, don't you think Itachi?"

Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes and saw Sai choking back a laugh as he looked at him in the mirror.

With a hard glance directed at his nosy and annoying driver, he pushed the button and rolled up the dark privacy window between them.

"How so, Hinata?" He asked quietly as he slid across the leather seat only a few inches from her, while she was still glued to the window. His eyes raked over her bare back and saw the graceful strength of her body. She almost had a dancer's body, but he figured it was most likely from martial arts.

Watching the glow of the lights as they lit up her pale skin in the darkened car, it surprised and irritated him, how he ached to touch her. But he held back because he had a feeling if he pushed her too hard she would retreat on him, so he kept his hands in his lap. He consoled himself with knowing that she was at least talking to him almost comfortably now, _thanks to the alcohol_.

"Well, I have always wanted to come here and feel the excitement and be a part of everything," she told him after a prolonged moment with a smile in her voice. "I don't know, tonight just feels… special."

_Because I met you_…she thought to herself and tried to contain the heady rush of feelings that he was bringing out in her. Sitting back in her seat she turned to him, and saw he was sitting just a few inches away from her. A warm flush began to come over her, as crazy thoughts began to enter head as she wondered what it would be like to touch and kiss him.

Glancing furtively at him, she blushed even deeper when she saw he was watching her. Slowly, as her heart began to thud against her chest, she turned and lifted her eyes to his.

Their gazes locked and held for a long moment of unnerving intimacy.

"The night is early still," Itachi told her in a soft voice as he moved closer to her and slid one of his hands lightly over the bare skin of her leg.

Hinata swallowed as her mouth suddenly felt dry. "How late is it?" She asked him in a rough and high pitched voice as nerves began to get the best of her.

"Around 10:30," he replied as he opened up a small refrigerator near him, and pulled out a bottle of water for her, and held it out to her.

"Thank you," she told him gratefully while taking the bottle from his hand and smiling at him.

Itachi's eyes were concerned as he looked back at her in the semi-dark. "Why are you so nervous?"

Stalling, Hinata took a long self-conscious drink from her water bottle and offered it to him. With mildly amused eyes he took a drink and his eyes told her he knew what she was doing, before putting the lid back on.

Hinata sighed and ran a flustered hand through her bangs and spoke so softly it was almost a whisper, "I've never kissed anyone before."

It happened too quickly for her to resist when she felt his warm lips cover hers. She gasped a little in shock when he lifted his mouth a fraction off of hers, and told her in a low and quiet voice, "Well, now you have."

Almost too frozen to move, Hinata felt suspended in time as she stared at him and waited to see if he was going to kiss her again. Her breath caught when she saw his eyes begin to close and his mouth was so near to hers she could almost taste him… and then the car stopped and tearing her eyes away from him to look out the window, she saw the front entrance of the Bellagio.

Beside her, Itachi sat back in his seat and waited for _that bastard_, Sai to open the door for them and let them out. After he opened the door for them, Itachi told him he could take the night off, they would walk back to their hotel.

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The night air was warm, but a gentle breeze and a slight mist of water blew over her bare back causing her to shiver. Sitting across from her with a small black wrought-iron table between them, Itachi looked at her with concern. "We can go inside if you are cold?"

"No, I am fine," she told him with a gentle smile that told him how nice she thought he was. "I want to watch the fountain show from here."

His lips quirked a bit, "I thought you might."

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked in polite tones as he came up to their table.

Itachi ordered the dessert sampler for both of them and a bottle of champagne.

After the waiter left she thanked him with a grateful smile. "I couldn't decide which one to get…they all looked so good," Hinata said with a laugh.

"I have the same problem, I learned from the last time I was here," he told her as his eyes looked into hers and they shared an amused glance. Until she lowered her eyes to his mouth, and thought of how they were on hers not too long ago, and she looked uncomfortably away from him and stared at the table.

Without even knowing she did it, her fingers razed lightly over her mouth as she stared out over the water.

"How old are you?" Itachi asked her after the awkward silence hung between them for far too long.

"Twenty two," she said with a sigh as she noticed they were back to him asking her question as she retreated into her shy shell again. "You?"

"I will be twenty-eight next month," he informed her as his eyes watched her closely.

Alarm raced through her as she realized the enormous gap in experience he had over her and her sense of self-preservation began to kick in past the alcohol in her brain, telling her that she could get badly burned by someone like him. At the end of the night he probably wasn't going to be content with just a kiss, most likely he was going to want a whole lot more from her…and a lot more was wa-a-ay beyond her.

_I should not be out here with him, I should just go. He is not safe…_

When she lifted up her eyes toward his, he could see the panic in them and reached out for her hand. His dark eyes were calm, almost understanding… to Hinata they were irresistible, and she couldn't look away from him. When he looked at her that way, the furthest thing from her mind was leaving him.

In the background she heard music begin to play over speakers and she recognized the song, "Fly me to the moon," by Frank Sinatra and the water in the fountains started spraying and dancing in sync to the music.

"Ahh," Hinata breathed out and let the magic of the evening wrap its spell over her again as firmly as the hand that was holding hers, and something within her didn't want reality to crash down on her again. She wanted the enchantment of their time together to last a little while longer.

When she got back home to all of the work and crushing weight of expectations that were placed on her again, she knew there would be no escaping the reality of her situation. But for now, she was free and in beautiful surroundings…with him.

Itachi didn't even bother watching the fountain show, instead he watched her and enjoyed seeing the myriad of emotions cross her face; he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He was fascinated by the way she expressed herself and seemed to feel things so intensely, while most of the time he just felt dead inside.

Watching her almost lazily he took in every subtle nuance of her, the way the lights glanced off of her hair and the way her face lit up with laughter. The corner of his mouth quirked when he saw a blush begin to travel up her face after she felt his gaze upon her. Almost unconsciously his thumb began to glide over her hand, causing Hinata to shiver on the inside as she watched the finale of the fountain show.

Hinata took a few shallow breaths as she was engrossed in the last notes of the song and the feel of his hand holding hers. Her mind was desperately trying to absorb every sight, feel and sound to crystallize memories deep within her for when she was alone again.

"Did you like it?" She heard his low voice ask her she felt reality crash down one her once again. The twin demons of Fear and Practicality were her best friends and they were telling her in her mind to slow it all down…_you are swimming with a shark, girlfriend! Danger, danger! Run away!_

"Um, yes… I did….it was lovely," she told him haltingly and tried to keep the sick feeling of vulnerability from showing in her eyes as she glanced away from him.

But it was too late, he saw it and felt himself becoming even more drawn to her. Like him, he sensed she could feel the relentless attraction that was between them.

Leaning towards her he placed both hands over her hand and he began sliding his hands gently over hers in a comforting manner.

"Hinata…" Itachi began with calm eyes, but was interrupted by their waiter with their champagne and dessert.

Pulling her hands away from Itachi, Hinata straightened up in her chair and was grateful for the reprieve as her deep rooted fear of the unknown forced her to stop being fanciful. She was not a risk taker and could feel the wild current between them was in danger of sweeping her away.

_He is a stranger, he doesn't even know your full name and you don't know his_… her frazzled mind rationalized as she tried to make sense of it all. Struggling within herself and not liking this horrible feeling of having no control over the situation, Hinata firmed her resolve to keep her distance from him.

Leaning back in her chair she firmly placed one long leg over the other and crossed her arms in front of her in her strongest business pose. When dealing with business associates, this was the posturing she did when she absolutely had to appear competent. Feeling comforted that it had helped her in the past, she hoped it would help her tonight.

Itachi's eyes swept over her and nonchalantly he reached over and pulled out the bottle of chilled champagne from the bucket of ice. A hint of amusement and challenge lurked in his eyes as he efficiently popped the cork and poured them each a glass of the bubbly pink liquid.

Handing her a glass, Itachi kept his eyes on her with a heavy-lidded look that was beginning to make her feel acutely uncomfortable again. Taking the glass of bubbling champagne from him with shaky fingers, Hinata breathed out a steadying breath as she raised her eyes back to his.

Watching as he raised his glass in a toast, Hinata felt her mouth open slightly in awe when he smiled a lazy smile at her. "Here's to…" he began to toast and then stopped... and his eyes told her to finish what he started.

"New... friends," Hinata croaked out hesitantly, and her eyes flew up to his when she heard him chuckle. To her, his small laugh had a rusty quality about it as though he was someone who wasn't used to ever doing it.

During the evening she had noticed and was attracted by the natural reserve, almost a solemnity that hung over him, yet right now he was looking at her with an almost unfathomable look that appeared to be part amusement, part tenderness. _Nice try_, his eyes told her.

Hinata had the grace to blush as she looked away toward the sparking water beyond the railing. A rueful sigh escaped her as she admitted to herself that no, they weren't friends. She never had a friend that she was longing to have crush her in his arms and kiss her until she was completely senseless.

They were something else, but what?

"Here's to new…acquaintances," Itachi toasted, raising his glass in the air toward her, "No last names, no expectations, just you... and me... for the rest of the evening."

At his words, palpable relief came into her eyes as she breathed out and smiled and touched her glass against his. "Okay, thank you," she told him with a grateful smile before honesty compelled her to admit with downcast eyes. "I've never been on a date or alone with a man without a chaperone being present."

At her admission, he hid a small amount of surprise as he figured at her age she would have a little more experience with dating. No wonder she was a nervous wreck.

"Well, now you have," he told her in a bland voice, repeating the words he said earlier to her as if what she told him was completely unremarkable. Noting her glass was only halfway full, he poured some more champagne into it.

Thinking he was entirely too wonderful to be real, Hinata had to stop from pinching herself as she watched him begin to load a few desserts on his plate.

"Please help yourself; while I actually could eat all of it, I would rather not," he told her politely as he gestured to the mouth-watering desserts in the middle of the table.

Feeling herself becoming a great deal more relaxed, Hinata gave up the fight against her conscience and with a growing smile on her face, her eyes began to scan over all of the insanely fattening and delicious desserts in front of her.

"Thank you, I think I will try a little bit of everything," she told him with a delighted laugh as she began loading up her plate.

* * *

It was three a.m. and to Hinata's alcohol soaked brain, the night had still retained its magic. After dessert, they went dancing again and the feel of him against her was even more intoxicating, than the many drinks she had.

He hadn't kissed her again, but several times throughout the night it had almost happened before he would move away and put some distance between them. Hinata was beginning to regret her wish earlier to keep things uncomplicated between them.

Coming out a side door of the Planet Hollywood, Hinata was a little euphoric that she had actually won a lot of money playing roulette. She had put a lot of money on the number one, because tonight was a night of many firsts for her.

"I still can't believe I won," Hinata gushed out with an ecstatic giggle as she had to keep herself from twirling around in a circle.

"Yes, I know," Itachi said directing an amused look at her. It had taken her about twenty spins of the wheel before it finally hit. He had tried to advise her to split up her money and try more than one number, but she had refused.

"What are you going to do with your winnings?" He asked her as he put his hand around hers and began guiding them back to the strip. She had won a couple of thousand dollars.

"Oh, I am not sure yet. I will probably use it to learn how to play black-jack."

Suddenly, the hair stood on the back of his neck as he felt something cold and metal poke through his shirt.

"Yo rich people, hand over your money and…" the thug began to say but was stopped as Itachi's elbow jabbed him in the solar plexus. While the huge man bent over in pain, Itachi sent a hard kick to his abdomen sending him crashing to the ground.

Quickly scanning around them, he noted there were four of them and as he dealt with the other idiot, he watched as Hinata in her small black evening dress flung a man twice her size over her shoulder, and sent him crashing down hard into the pavement.

His jaw dropped in awe at her grace and speed as she kicked a gun out of the other one's hand. Her shiny black hair swung behind her as she dropped to the ground and kicked out his legs and sent a hard punch to the man's midsection and watched as he hit his head on the cement with a sickening thud.

A small drunken giggle escaped her as she stood up and dusted her hands off primly. "Oops, I think I got a little carried away," she told him as she smiled weakly and gestured to the men on the ground.

"I don't think you did," he said to her with a slightly dazed look on his face that was making her feel like she was flying.

Slightly out of breath, she felt powerful and strong for once in her life as she began to walk towards him, before tripping over a small rock and landing face down on the ground.

"Oh, I'm alright," she told him as she slowly began to sit up on the pavement feeling a bit foolish as he immediately rushed over to her and began examining her for signs of injuries.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he looked at her knee and saw a small scrape was bleeding a little and it looked like she would probably have a bruise around it as well.

"Yes, I'm fine," Hinata told him with the bouncy resiliency that intoxicated people usually have when they hurt themselves.

"Come sit over here," Itachi told her with a small amount of amusement lacing his voice as he led her over to the edge of the sidewalk to sit down.

"Okay, you are soo nice," she said with a soppy laugh.

Rolling his eyes, Itachi took out his cell phone to call the police. As he waited for someone to answer the phone a small grin came over his face as he watched her dust off her hands in a fastidious manner and couldn't remember when he had enjoyed being around someone more than he did her.

"911, how may I help you?" The dispatcher said as she answered the phone.

"Yes, four men attempted to rob my companion and I at knifepoint and we incapacitated them, you will need to send two police cars and a few ambulances," he relayed to woman in a calm, efficient manner.

"Are you and your companion injured in any way?" The dispatcher asked, a little surprised.

Itachi glanced over at Hinata and thought how brilliant she was, before she tripped over a tiny rock and felt his lip quirk, "No, we are not injured; the ambulance is for the assailants."

"Uh okay," the lady said a bit skeptical. "The police will be there in a few moments."

Itachi hung up and saw the attackers were still out cold. Sitting down next to Hinata he put his arm around her when he saw she was shivering a little.

"The police are on their way," he explained as he slid his hand calmly over her shoulder.

Her eyes were getting heavy as she sat next to him. "Um, okay," she answered tiredly. With a small smile she leaned into him and closed her eyes.

It seemed like only a few seconds later when Itachi told her she needed to wake up and give a statement to the completely surprised police.

Standing up a little stiffly with Itachi's help, she then walked over by herself to the police officer and told him what she knew.

"Those idiots obviously picked the wrong couple to mess with," the police officer told her with a grin and handed her a business card. "We have all of your statements and information if we need to get a hold of you. Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?" The police officer asked her as he looked at her knee.

"No, I am fine; I just tripped over a rock," she said with an embarrassed smile and watched as another police officer with gloves was bagging up the gun on the ground and a couple of knives to use as evidence. A shiver ran through her as she was grateful for all of the martial arts training her father made her go through ever since she could walk.

The police released them, and Itachi began walking her toward the strip.

"Which hotel are you staying at?" He asked her as he saw her yawn again and decided it was time to take her back.

"The Aria," she said as she pointed just across the strip from where they were standing. His eyebrows raised slightly, because he was also staying there. The hotel had just opened, and as an investor, he was given the use of a complementary suite while he was there for the conference.

In a fog of tired happiness, Hinata followed him across the bridge, and it seemed almost to take no time at all before they were walking through the posh lobby of the Aria.

"Which floor are you on?" He asked her as they stood by near a set of elevators.

Unable to remember, Hinata reached inside of her dress and pulled out a small wallet that was hanging from her neck. It was full of hundred dollar bills and she took out her key-card and read off the floor and room number.

Itachi raised his eyebrows slightly noting that his room was located on the same floor; so, with his hand on her back and an amused look on his face he guided her into the elevator.

Jet-lag and the alcohol were getting the best of her, so she leaned against him as they walked down the long hallway towards her room. It seemed to take no time at all before he stopped in front of her door and took the key-card from her and slid it into the slot and opened the door for her.

A bit reluctantly, Hinata walked inside her suite and stood just inside the doorway, unsure of what to do next, but not really wanting the evening to end.

"I had a great time, well except for the whole attempted robbery thing…" she began a little nervously before his hands slid around her waist, and as if in slow motion her body curved against his, followed by the shock of his warm lips covering hers.

A moment later, he lifted his head a fraction and Hinata felt bereft as she thought he was going to stop. Instead his hands shifted and one of them began drifting slowly over her bare back as the other one tightened and pulled her fully against him before bending his head and settling his mouth firmly on hers again.

Gasping against his mouth, Hinata pressed herself against him and slid her hands around his shoulders and gripped them for support. Hinata's heart began to thud with erratic beats as his mouth began to trace each soft curve and contour of her lips, and then he stepped away from her with a small smile and a warm light in his eyes.

"Goodnight Hinata," he told her as he began walking away down the hall. _I think you have had enough firsts for one night, _he thought as he continued down the hallway toward his room.

Closing the door behind her in a daze, Hinata smiled as a rush of emotions flooded over her. "Goodnight Itachi_," _she said out loud as she headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

**Author's Note:** I have tons of stuff to do today but I wanted to get a chapter out to you so if there are a lot errors, I apologize. Please let me know if you liked the chapter, I have part of the next one done and may be able to post it soon if my schedule allows me time to write. Thanks so much to all of you for taking the time to review on the first chapter, I loved hearing from you.

BTW, I know I made Sai OOC, I was going to put Suigetsu as the driver, but I was too lazy to type his name out all the time...sorry.

Edited: 4/13/12.


	3. Chapter 3

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**~Chapter 3~**

* * *

Reaching over and shutting off the alarm she had set on her cell phone, Hinata groaned when her skull felt like it was splitting in half. Looking at the time on the clock she noticed it was seven in the morning.

A puzzled frown formed on her forehead as she gently laid her head back on the pillow and took a few moments to regain her equilibrium and figure out why she felt so rotten.

_Jet lag…Las Vegas…Sensual Peach Pleasure…and Itachi._

A slow groaning smile slid over her face as the events of last night began to surface in her mind. It had been one of the best nights of her life – she had felt so free and uninhibited and somehow unexpectedly she had met _him_. So, whatever pain she was feeling today had been well worth it.

Hinata's hand touched her lips and her mind floated back to that kiss he gave her before he left. She could still feel the possessive way his hand had pressed against her back and dragging her closer to him.

A hot flush came over her at the realization, that if he would have asked to come into her room, she probably would have let him. And who knows what highly improper things would have happened after that.

_Oh no_, her mind cringed at her foolish behavior as she sagged back into her bed with relief that he had been a gentleman and left only after a kiss.

A hard knock sounded on the door, startling her and making her wince when her head began to throb all over again.

"I'm coming," Hinata muttered weakly as she pulled back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Stepping onto the floor, she felt a sharp pain stab through her knee and when she looked down she saw it was all bruised.

_Ouch, when did that happen_? She wondered as she walked toward the door and remembered somewhere in the back of her mind falling down on pavement during the night.

Having a real good idea who was on the other side of the door, Hinata released a deep breath preparing herself for something unpleasant before opening it.

Sure enough, Mr. Cheerful himself was standing there waiting for her in the hallway.

"Come in Neji," Hinata told him in a resigned voice before turning around and sitting back down on her bed.

"Hinata, where did you go last night?" Neji said, immediately laying into her right after he closed the door behind him.

"I told you last night – I just needed to get away by myself for a while," she responded defensively, while looking at him with a pleading look in her eyes asking him to try to understand her. "To s-see the sights around town."

"I do understand, Hinata. I just don't want you to get hurt, the world is a dangerous place and you have led a very privileged and sheltered life," he explained patiently.

"I am not a child anymore, Neji…I can take care of myself," Hinata reminded him with quiet firmness as she looked up at him with frustrated eyes.

"Oh really," Neji mocked in a voice heavy with skepticism, he picked up the remote and turned on the television. "Then explain to me why you are on the local news this morning."

Horrified and not quite remembering all of the details that happed last night; Hinata began watching the flat screen television in her room with growing trepidation.

_What in the world happened to me last night?_

"As all of you know, the Las Vegas Strip is known to be very safe for tourists most of the time; however, if you are a robber, you might want to stay away from this couple," the anchor woman began her intro as she looked through the screen.

"You aint kidding, Monica," Jason, her co-anchor said nodding his head emphatically. "These two didn't mess around; according to the police, the assailants are still being treated in the hospital, before they will be taken straight to jail."

Hinata watched with huge eyes as the security camera footage showed her and Itachi walking down an alley before four huge men came behind them with knives and guns pointed at their backs.

"Oooh - Jason, I just love this part!" Monica the anchorwoman, told her counter-part excitedly before Itachi on the screen jabbed his elbow in one of the guy's throat and as the robber bent over a little, gasping for air, Itachi kicked him in the stomach sending him hard to the ground. In another few seconds and a couple of kicks and punches later, Itachi had the other robber disarmed and laying unconscious on the cement before turning toward Hinata to make sure she was alright.

The camera footage paused and the anchors came on the screen again.

"Well Monica, watch this! I've been watching this part all morning and I never get tired of it," Jason the anchorman said as he punched his fist into his hand.

"I know Jason, this chick rocks," Monica enthused as she nodded in front of the camera. The footage began again on the TV screen.

Hinata's jaw dropped when she saw herself flip a huge man over her shoulder slamming him into the ground. Another second later, she kicked a gun out of another robber's hand and then sinking down low she did a roundhouse kick and took out his legs before punching him brutally in the stomach sending the other robber crashing down hard on the ground.

"Ouch! Smack down!" The news anchors said in tandem as they high-fived each other, laughing with enthusiasm. "You go, girl!" Monica yelled into the camera.

Hinata paled; shocked that she had been so brutal. A few moments later she watched in embarrassment as the camera footage showed her walking toward Itachi and tripping pathetically over a rock and falling down flat on her face.

Her eyes dropped down to her knee and saw her hands were also scraped.

_Well, there is one mystery solved, _she thought as her face became flushed with mortification that such a drunken and klutzy moment had been caught on tape and was being shown on the local news in Las Vegas.

The news anchors grinning faces appeared on the screen again.

"Whoops, it looks like someone had a little bit too much to drink," Jason teased with a laugh.

"Yeah, but my girl was still awesome…" Monica said in her defense, before moving on to the next news segment.

Directing a hard exasperated look at her, Neji snapped the television off. "Well?"

Hinata put her face in her hands and groaned as all of the nights events began to come to her. None of her actions last night would make her cousin happy considering she had been walking around semi-drunk in an unfamiliar city with a complete stranger. In the harsh light of day she had to admit it was pretty reckless of her to get into his limo with him and drink all of that champagne.

But at the time, it felt so right and there was something about him that made her trust him. He could have easily taken advantage of her last night but he didn't, he escorted her to her room, kissed her and walked away.

_I wonder if I will see him again_…she worried, realizing that she had no way of contacting him. Her heart began to sink like a stone at the thought of not seeing him again.

"Hinata, I am waiting…" Neji warned her becoming increasingly frustrated at her silence.

"Um well…I…" she began hesitantly, before a knock on the door saved her from answering.

Neji strode over and opened the door and Tenten, fully dressed for the day and bursting with energy, flew through it launching herself at her friend with a torrent of questions.

"Hinata, I saw you on the news…who was the hottie you had with you and why didn't you take me with you last night?" the brunette asked as she stood in front of her friend, with her hands on her hips.

Hinata blushed after cringing in pain at her friend's loud questioning.

Tenten was a year older than Hinata and technically her assistant, but she had also worked her way up through the ranks and was a manager of one of HGI's smaller branches in Tokyo. Besides being a co-worker she was also very good friends with Hinata and was always trying to get her to have a life outside of work.

"Tenten, you are interrupting us," Neji complained as he glared at her.

The brunette sighed as she shared a frustrated look with Hinata, "Can't you stop babysitting her for one second, I mean, she is an adult now..."

"Hiashi-sama entrusted me to watch over her," Neji explained with an accusing look on his face as he stared at Hinata, "…and she took off last night, and got intoxicated and ran around Vegas with a complete stranger. I do not consider that to be responsible adult behavior."

Hinata tried to apologize when Tenten shook her head and cut her off firmly. "Don't you dare apologize to him, Hinata - you have every right to go out and have fun."

"You stay out of it, Tenten," Neji growled making Tenten jump up and get in his face.

"No, I am not going to stay out it, I am sick of all you and her father babying her all the time. She doesn't need it; she can take care of herself."

"Tenten, this is a family matter…" Neji told her in a tight voice as he shot her a warning glare to back down.

Hinata knew the two of them would continue to bicker over her for a while and they were making her head hurt worse, so she decided she might as well go take a shower and get ready for the conference.

After they saw her go into the bathroom, Neji stared at Tenten with worried eyes before sharing with her what was really bothering him.

"I know who she was with last night and I don't want you to mention anything about him to her, I am hoping she doesn't see him again. He is way too experienced for her."

Tenten frowned as though in thought, "Come to think of it, he _does_ look kinda familiar…"

"He is Itachi Uchiha, the oldest son of Hiashi-sama's biggest rival and competitor, Fugaku Uchiha," Neji supplied stonily for her.

Impressed and surprised her shy friend had met up with _him_, Tenten raised her eyebrows, as of course, she had heard the name but had never met him. In the global business community, Itachi Uchiha was practically a legend, known to be brilliant and brutally efficient in the way he managed his father's company. Not only that, he was an absolute genius at predicting upcoming trends and forecasts in business and had practically doubled his father's already enormous assets since he had taken over as president.

That said, she still couldn't help but be a little uneasy that Hinata had been hanging out with him last night. Over the years, his name had been linked romantically with quite a few well-known super-models, socialites and actresses and she was concerned her overly-sheltered friend just wasn't worldly enough for a sophisticated man like him.

_Maybe just this once, Neji was right to try to protect her_, Tenten thought as she glanced toward the bathroom door where Hinata was taking a shower with a sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Okay, I see why you are so worked up about all of this," Tenten admitted to him in a slightly concerned voice. "I won't mention anything else about him to her and we will just have to hope he doesn't try to see her again."

Neji looked at her with relief in his eyes, surprised that for once, she didn't try to argue with him like she usually did when it came to Hinata, "Thank you Tenten."

* * *

Sitting there dressed in a gray designer suit, Itachi was completely bored as he waited for everyone to arrive and the conference to begin. Seated at their company table next to him was his hard-working assistant, Shino, and on his other side was Sasuke and Sai. Behind them, were several members of the board and high-ranking branch executives. His parents were unable to make it this year and had asked him and Sasuke to represent the company in their place.

Sai, Itachi noticed with a spike in his blood pressure, was keeping Sasuke entertained by drawing an elaborate caricature of him and Hinata last night in the backseat of the limo. The drawing depicted Hinata splayed up against the car window, looking out upon the Las Vegas nightlife with exaggeratedly sweet and innocent looking eyes, while Itachi was leering at her backside and reaching out for her butt like a total pervert.

"You're fired." Itachi said flatly with an icy glare directed at Sai, who quickly pulled the drawing pad out of Itachi's reach before he could destroy it. Sai immediately looked to Sasuke with a sad and mute appeal in his eyes reminding him how he was his wing-man when they went out on the town clubbing.

"You're rehired, Sai," Sasuke told him with a hard exasperated shake of his head. "Just stay out his way for a few days and quit fucking with him, you idiot."

"I know I shouldn't do it, he is just so damn perfect and serious all the time, I can't resist the urge to piss him off occasionally," Sai told him with a grin before going back to work on his drawing adding even more salacious details to it.

A reluctantly knowing look passed over Sasuke's face as he admitted Sai did have a point about his brother. All of his life, he has had to walk in Itachi's brilliant and perfect footsteps. It was an enormous shadow that always kept him firmly in his place, reminding him that no matter what he accomplished in his life, he would always be second best, especially in the eyes of their father. When he was younger he used to resent his brother, but over time he realized Itachi couldn't help who he was and seemed to hate all of the bullshit going on around them just as much as he did.

Within the last few years, they had formed a bond that kept them close no matter what their controlling bastard of a father did to either of them. And when he needed someone to be there for him, it was always his brother he turned to.

Still, this opportunity to take a shot at him was just too good to pass up, Sasuke thought as he leaned toward his brother with a smirk, "I thought Sai's picture was pretty accurate considering the way you were staring at her in the bar last night. You have to admit, she is pretty innocent compared to you..."

"Mind your own business, Sasuke," Itachi snapped without even looking at him, as his eyes were glued on the two dark-haired women walking down the aisle on the other side of the room.

Sasuke saw who his brother was staring at and rolled his eyes in irritation. Hinata Hyuuga was the daughter of their father's largest competitor after all, and he didn't have a good feeling about Itachi getting involved with her.

"Itachi, do you even know whose daughter she is?"

"Yes," his brother responded absently before an amused grin crept over his face as he watched Hinata almost trip over the carpet before her friend grabbed her by the arm and kept her from falling down.

_I hope you know what you are doing Itachi_, Sasuke thought direly before directing his eyes up to the front where a person had just stepped on the stage to announce the beginning of the conference.

* * *

Hinata sat down with a blush on her face, feeling the stares of several sets of eyes pinned on her all at once. She didn't know if it was because she was here representing her father for the first time, or because she had almost tripped, or if it was because her unexpected television news appearance.

She just knew she didn't like all of the attention she was getting, and was just glad to be able to sit down and look forward. At least this way she couldn't feel all of those eyes on her.

"It looks like you had fun last night, Hinata-chan, I saw you on the news this morning," Uncle Ko teased as he leaned close to her. "Did you get some, last night?"

Hinata blushed furiously and looked all around her to see if anyone overheard what he had asked her.

Neji glared at him, "Do you always have to be so crude, Uncle Ko? Of course she didn't."

Shrugging his shoulders blithely, "I don't see what is wrong with my question, this is Vegas after all and she is twenty-two now. You should see how her father acts when he comes here; he is quite the ladies man. I spent most of the night comforting several of his _friends_ after I told them he wasn't coming this year."

Hinata was shocked to learn her stern, autocratic father was such a womanizer. She mentally cringed as she shared a look with her equally disgusted cousin.

Even though she was embarrassed, and a little nauseous, about what she had just learned, she had to hold back a smile as she looked fondly over at her wildly eccentric uncle (on her mother's side of the family) who always spoke his mind no matter who he offended. He just couldn't help that he was a little crazy, and completely different from the rest of her uptight family, and she knew he meant well in his own weird way.

"No Uncle, I didn't," Hinata muttered primly and her shoulders began to shake as she felt Tenten beside her trying desperately not to laugh. Neji, on the other side of Hinata shot Tenten a quelling look, which she completely ignored. Uncle Ko got a phone call and turned away from everyone and was busy writing something down on a pad of paper.

Hinata was very glad when a woman took the stage and began speaking into a microphone. Directing all of her attention on the stage, she hoped she would be able to learn some useful information to take back home with her to Japan.

Unfortunately hangovers, jet lag and four hours of sleep aren't conducive to learning anything, especially when the speaker was as boring and uninformative as the one she was forced to listen to.

An hour later, Hinata woke up from falling asleep from mind-crushing boredom when her cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Her eyes grew huge, and she almost dropped it in shock, when she saw whose name was on the screen.

Itachi Uchiha.

_Uchiha_…

Her heart began to race when she realized she had spent the evening with the brilliant son of her father's biggest rival. Hinata realized she should have known last night when he told her his first name…but for some reason it didn't click with her, maybe because she didn't want it to. In the back of her mind, she had wanted to be someone else for the evening…and maybe deep down she didn't want to know who he was either.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted a shaky hand the touched the screen on her phone to answer it.

"Um, hello," Hinata whispered into the phone, and lifted her gaze to one of the tables across the room, and saw his dark eyes were watching her.

"How are you?" She heard his gorgeous voice ask through the phone, and felt like melting in her seat.

"I am f-fine," Hinata responded automatically, not knowing what to say to him especially now that she knew he was a genius, she just blurted out the first thing she could think of to say. "How did you get my number?"

"Last night while we were waiting for the police, I used your cell phone to call mine, and saved your number into my phone."

"Oh, okay," she told him feeling a surge of happiness in her that he had contacted her again, but she still didn't have a clue what to say to him.

Silence settled uncomfortably between them as they stared at each other from across the room.

"Itachi?" Hinata asked softly, breaking the silence between them.

"Yes."

"Did you, um…know who I was last night?"

"Yes," he admitted with a slightly apologetic look directed at her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hinata asked him with a puzzled look on her face.

"Because I didn't think you wanted me to know."

Hinata looked across the room and couldn't stop herself from smiling a little wryly at him, "You're right, I didn't want you to know who I was. I needed a break from being my father's daughter for at least one night…t-thank you for understanding."

"You are welcome, but I also enjoyed the anonymity of the evening," Itachi admitted to her knowing that a subtle change was already taking place between them, now that they both knew who the other was. He could sense that she was even more nervous talking to him now than she was last night.

Last night it was raw physical attraction, and her being alone with him that made her nervous, now it was even worse because of all of the expectations that came with who they both were.

"Y-you did?" Hinata asked him a little stunned that he would ever want to be anyone other than his brilliant and amazing self. She looked at him across the room and saw all of the executives around him and understood. Like her, he probably needed to break free from all of the expectations placed on him and just be himself occasionally.

"Will you spend the day with me?" Hinata heard his voice ask her through the phone and her heart began to sink as she glanced at her cousin who was glaring at her.

"I'm sorry I can't…I have to stay at the conference, I promised my father I would represent our family this year," Hinata told him as she looked over at him across the room with apologetic eyes.

"Hinata, look around you and tell me what you see?" Itachi's voice directed her a little coolly.

Her eyes quickly scanned the room and was surprised to see over half of the attendees that were there in the beginning were missing.

"Over half of the people who were here earlier are absent," Hinata responded with a growing smile on her face as a light began to dawn inside her head.

"Yes and even more of them will leave after the first break. This exclusive conference is nothing more than a cleverly disguised vacation," Itachi explained to her with a small amount of disgust in his voice at how the pathetic the business world was.

Hinata glanced over at her Uncle and now it made sense that her father always brought him here when he never took him to any of the other global conferences he attended.

"So, you finally figured out the real purpose behind this conference, Hinata-chan, as you can see I am one of the unofficial party organizers," Uncle Ko announced with a grin as he showed her all of his party planning notes.

Hinata's eyes drifted to her cousin whose jaw was clenched as he mouthed silently, "No." She immediately turned away from him and looked over at Itachi with frazzled eyes.

"My assistant, Shino, is excellent at taking notes and I will share them with you to present at your next board meeting," Itachi offered sensing her resolve was beginning to weaken.

Hinata's eyes glanced longingly out the window and saw it was a beautiful day outside and the chance to spend it with him sounded amazing, "Well, I…"

"No way, Hinata," Neji told her in a clipped voice as he tried to take the phone out of her hands before Hinata turned away from him. "You promised your father you would attend the conference."

"I will go with her, Neji, as her chaperone," Tenten spoke up realizing Hinata was going to probably end up meeting up with the Uchiha at some point anyway, seeing that they were both attending the same conference. This way, at least one of them could keep an eye on her.

Hinata looked at Tenten gratefully, knowing this was the only way her cousin was going to relent and let her go. "Thanks, Tenten," she told her friend warmly as she held the phone away from her mouth.

"I will bring my brother with us to keep her company," Itachi told her through the phone as he looked at her from across the room before his eyes consulted his watch. "The next break is scheduled in five minutes, we will leave then, and my brother and I will meet you down in the main lobby in a half hour."

"Okay," Hinata responded shyly, her heart was racing with nervous anticipation at spending the whole day with him. "So, where are we going?"

"You'll see," Itachi told as he stared at her from across the room with a carefully blank look on his face, not giving her a hint of what he had planned for them.

Hinata blushed and bit her lip to keep from smiling back at him knowing her cousin was watching her. "Well, how should we dress?"

"Casual, and bring a swimsuit and something similar to what you were wearing last night."

"Alright, we will meet you in the lobby," Hinata told him calmly and fought back the urge to jump with happiness. She looked over at Tenten and smiled and began to gather her purse and things because the break was starting.

"Hinata, please be careful," Neji told her reluctantly with a worried look on his face as she stood up to leave.

"I will cousin, I promise."

* * *

Sitting in the convertible, in the front seat next to him with the top down, and the wind blowing through her hair, Hinata watched him drive with an admiring glance. He drove with a calm purposefulness that automatically made her trust him.

Expecting his driver to take them in the limo again, she was surprised when Itachi told them he would be driving them to their destination.

It took them awhile to navigate the traffic around town, but it wasn't long before the highway they were on was becoming increasingly more open and scenic. She was dying to know where he was taking them, but he refused to tell her.

Hinata looked over at him with pleading eyes asking him to give her a hint of where they were going.

"You will just have to wait and see," Itachi told her as he settled his hand around hers and stared out in front of him. Leaning back in her seat, Hinata smiled and decided to just enjoy the scenery and the feel of the wind against her face. After all she could still be stuck in that dreary conference room...

* * *

**Author's Note:** The next chapter will contain Itahina fluff and probably some Sasuten, I am not sure who I am going to ultimately pair up Tenten with yet. I have some of the next chapter written already and have had the scene in my head for some time so I hope to be able to post it very soon. I know I took liberties with Uncle Ko, I just couldn't let all of the eccentrics be on the Uchiha side, I had to make one of the Hyuugas outrageous to balance out Sai. Anyway, please make my day and leave me some feedback.

**Story Note**: The news anchors are real people on Channel Five in Las Vegas, I remember seeing them on the news the last time I was there and liked how spunky they were.

Edited: 4/13/12


	4. Chapter 4

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**~Chapter 4~**

* * *

**Thanks so much to**: Lady Crack, Narya Vilya, Leeann2002, Jay-Boogie, Chilly Wind, Catriana, Champylin, KagomeMarie, Binky-and-Jaden and Hinata1020569. This update is for all of you:)

* * *

Tenten sighed and reined her temper in with an effort as she sat in the back seat with him.

_I swear, if he looks at me like that one more time I am going to unload on him, _she thought as she jerked opened her water bottle and took a long drink. Sending a wary glance in his direction she saw he was openly watching her with those intense dark eyes of his.

"Stop staring at me like that," Tenten snapped while folding her arms across her chest in an effort to keep him from removing her tank top with his eyes.

Sasuke smirked before leaning closer to her, giving her a dazzling glimpse of his perfect smile, "Like what?"

Her eyes rolled in irritation as she scooted a few more inches away from him, "I would appreciate it if you would just look somewhere else for the rest of the drive, please."

In response, Sasuke said nothing he just simply slid his eyes over the supple skin of her long bare legs very slowly, and deliberately before dragging them over her shorts and tank top and the rest of her before his black eyes finally met hers.

Unexpectedly, Tenten felt like laughing at how obnoxious he was, d_amn him – he is trying to annoy me on purpose._

"Am I making you nervous?"

Tenten snorted in derision, "No, you are starting to piss me off."

Sasuke looked away from her and smirked and realized he hasn't had this much fun teasing a female in a long time, if ever. She was very different from most of the women he knew.

"Am I?"

"Yes."

Sasuke gazed into her wary brown eyes for a long time in a contemplative manner before a reluctant hint of admiration showed in his eyes, "…I think…I could come to like you."

Having a very hard time believing what she was hearing, Tenten frowned and looked away from him, "Don't play games with me, Uchiha. I am immune to guys like you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Guys like me?"

Tenten's eyes were scornful as they raked over him, "Yes, guys like you - wealthy, attractive, successful…men who think because I was born poor, and had to work my way through college, I am just dying to go out with them, or have all my wildest dreams come true by sleeping with them. What a joke…no thanks, I am not that desperate."

"I haven't asked you to do either of those things," Sasuke reminded her flatly.

Tenten's lips quirked slightly when she had to concede that technically he was right, "Yes, that is true, but you can't deny, you have been… undressing me with your eyes since I got in the back of the car with you – no wait, even earlier, since I first met you in the hotel lobby," she accused him with a frustrated grin because he was visually removing her clothes again.

A slow smile crept over his face as his eyes slid down provocatively over her chest before returning back to her eyes, "I don't deny it… I find you to be very attractive…" Sasuke admitted in a low voice as his fingers skimmed over the sensitive skin of her thigh in a bold caress.

Feeling a bit like prey to a hungry predator, Tenten was almost hypnotized by his voice and the warm look in his black eyes. A combination of wariness and excitement rushed through her mind as she leaned slowly toward him, and stopped just before his mouth could taste hers.

Looking into his eyes before he was about to kiss her she saw a mocking glow of victory in them, and it made her come to her senses, and push hard against his chest.

"Uhg," Tenten groaned in frustration, and scooted away from him as far as she possibly could, "I am not interested in being used by you, Uchiha. So, please keep your hands...and your eyes away from me."

Impressed and more amused than he had been in a very long time, Sasuke moved back over to his side of the backseat, and a quick glance in the front mirror told him his brother had witnessed him crashing and burning out with her, and was warning him to behave.

Sasuke leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He was still a little hung-over from last night anyway.

* * *

Up in the front of the car, Hinata peeked out of the corner of her eye, and admired the gorgeous man next to her. Her eyes lingered over him almost in awe, thinking that her memory of him last night did not even come close to doing him justice.

Dressed casually in black shorts with a red t-shirt, she watched as the wind blew through his jet black hair, and taking in his elegant profile, she thought he was even more stunningly attractive than she had remembered.

Feeling her eyes on him, Itachi glanced at her and gave an apologetic look before answering his cell phone, and directing his eyes back on the road in front of him.

With his attention elsewhere, Hinata felt free to allow her eyes to roam over him freely without fear of being caught in the act. Turning towards his face as he spoke on the phone, she was shocked to see his eyes were hard and filled with frustration as he glared through the front windshield of the car.

"Kisame, I am not interested in your excuses, I want results," Itachi bit off into the phone with glacier-like tones that made Hinata flinch when she heard them.

His tone of voice was so entirely different from any she had heard him use before, and it shocked her to hear him be so callous. Last night when he spoke to her he had been unfailingly polite…almost gentle.

A frown grew over her face as she watched Itachi listening, and his jaw clenched before he spoke in a low, clipped voice to his subordinate.

"Find a way to solve the problem or don't even bother coming back to New York. Email me your report by tomorrow morning."

As he ended the call and snapped the phone down on his lap, Hinata looked away uneasily from him, having a hard time equating this cold, forbidding man with the warm, teasing one she had met last night. A shiver passed through her as the way he had spoken to his employee had reminded her of the way her father spoke to her most of the time.

"I told you Itachi - you should have handled the deal yourself before you left," Sasuke pointed out to him from the back seat.

Itachi breathed a weary sigh before looking into the mirror at his brother in the back seat, "You are probably right, I was hoping he would be capable of dealing with it on his own."

Sasuke snorted in derision, "Kisame, yeah right. You should fire his lazy-ass when you get back."

"I may have to, especially if he does not follow my instructions…"

Hinata was quiet as she listened to Itachi talk to Sasuke about their business problem; a sinking feeling began to form in her stomach as he began to feel like even more of a stranger to her. It was becoming increasingly obvious to her by the minute that he was a very tough businessman who did not tolerate failure in himself, or the people he worked with.

And she had no idea what he was doing with her – she didn't feel like she could ever fit in his world.

In her lap, her hands twisted the light jacket she had brought with her as she stared out the side window. Her eyes barely took in the scenery as she mulled over her concerns about him.

Noticing Hinata seemed to be retreating away from him again, Itachi glanced over at her with a concerned look on his face, "Is everything alright?"

_No, everything feels wrong today – you feel like a stranger to me_, her mind automatically answered after hearing his question. With an imperceptible sigh, she turned toward him, and slid her well-worn social mask on.

"Yes, of course - I am fine," she replied with an evasive smile before looking away from him.

As he watched her turn away, and stare out the window his expression became unreadable.

"We should be there in a few minutes," Itachi reassured her, before making a left turn down a two-lane road. Hinata looked ahead of the car, and saw they were heading toward an enormous lake.

"That's Lake Mead," Itachi informed her before asking her politely. "I hope you like being out on a boat and swimming?"

"Yes, I am looking forward to it, thank you for bringing us," she responded with equal politeness.

Itachi drove a few more miles in silence before turning down what appeared to be a private road. At the end of it was a beautiful, modern, A-frame house with lots of windows, and large deck surrounding it. In front of the house was a dock to the lake with a ski boat tied to it. On the grounds there was a huge patio area with a Jacuzzi, and swimming pool, and a lighted tennis court .

"Does this house belong to your brother?" Tenten asked Sasuke when she saw he was awake from his nap.

"No, it belongs to a friend; he lets us borrow it when we come to the area," he replied with a somewhat wry expression on his face.

Tenten looked at him shrewdly for a moment, "Let me guess, Kisame is the owner of this place?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes derisively, "Yes."

An amused look passed over her face as she scanned the home, "Since he is about to get his ass fired, perhaps one of you should buy it from him."

Sasuke glanced over at his brother and knew if Kisame messed up this time, he would be gone. His brother was an absolute fanatic when it came to keeping only the best employees around him. The only person Itachi ever allowed to mess up and keep his job was Sai, because he was his friend and had worked for the family since he was a young teenager. Itachi was very loyal when it came to family and close friends.

"I wouldn't mind buying it from him, since the division I am in charge of is located in Los Angeles. I come to Vegas a lot on the weekends," Sasuke told her before surprising her by getting out of the car and walking around to her side and opening the door for her. At her raised eyebrow at his courteous behavior, he smirked, before stepping impatiently away from the car door.

"What are you waiting for? An invitation...?"

Tenten smiled as she reluctantly found him amusing, "Oh, whatever," she said as she held back a laugh.

Gathering her backpack, she climbed out of the car and began helping him unload the cooler from the trunk.

* * *

Hinata gave a startled laugh as she was thrown back in her seat as Tenten rammed the shifter back all the way, blasting the ski-boat forward, and almost dumping the water skiers being pulled behind them into the lake.

"Oops," Tenten said with a sly grin directed in Sasuke's direction as he hung on for dear life onto the handle attached to the rope as he skied alongside his brother.

Hinata shot a worried glance in Itachi's direction, and saw he had easily righted himself, and was holding on with only one hand as he was skiing slalom with effortless grace.

Tenten slowed the boat down a little, and Hinata watched in awe as the brothers began aggressively crisscrossing back and forth, and arching way out wide as they jumped and spun over the crests of water while skimming across the lake.

The two women shared a smiling glance as both of them witnessed the amazing sight behind them. The brothers were absolutely incredible at water-skiing and the sight of their glistening muscles, and dark hair was enough to make any woman drool.

Hinata kept her eyes mostly on Itachi and thought about the last few hours since they have arrived at the lake. An unfailingly polite understanding had sprung up between them as she felt uncomfortable with him, and he kept his distance from her.

It was obvious to her he was allowing them to stay acquaintances a little bit longer until she made up her mind about him. And she knew instinctively if she didn't want to see him anymore he would do the gentlemanly thing, and back away.

The confusing part of all of it was she didn't want him to stop seeing him. A part of her wanted to get to know him almost desperately. Practically everything about him fascinated her, and in some strange way she felt a connection with him, a kinship of sorts probably because their shared background. Hinata wasn't sure what caused it, but could definitely feel it was there between them.

But if he had a temper like her father, she didn't think she could handle getting closer to him, it would be just too painful. To see that look of disappointment and anger in Itachi's eyes, directed at her, would be unbearable, and she wasn't sure she could risk it.

Hinata looked up and saw Itachi was giving her a signal letting her know they were done water-skiing.

"Tenten, stop the boat - they are ready to quit," Hinata relayed to her from her seat near the back of the boat and raised the little flag Sasuke had handed her to alert other boaters there were water-skiers in the water.

Itachi and Sasuke let go of the handles on the ropes and sunk into the water, and Tenten spun the boat around them. They each took off their slalom ski and held onto it as the boat circled closer to them.

Hinata went to the back of the boat near the ladder and looked down at Itachi who was floating in the water. His dark hair was loose and wet and clinging to his face and neck. He looked almost boyishly relaxed as he turned and grinned at something his brother said to him, Hinata felt her heart do a back-flip before he turned and looked at her.

Hinata blushed when she realized she was wearing only her pink one-piece swimsuit. She had been wearing shorts and a tank top over her suit, but after Itachi and Sasuke had entered into the water to ski she had become too warm, and had taken them off.

Now she felt dreadfully undressed in front of him and his brother.

Itachi handed her his slalom ski and Hinata began pulling in the ropes as he climbed up the ladder. As she glanced at him again she couldn't tear her gaze away as her eyes delighted in the sheer male beauty of his dripping wet body clad in only black shorts as he entered the boat. As though in a daze she continued to stare as he picked up a towel and began drying himself off.

"I think you look nice too, Hinata," Itachi told her in a low amused voice as he walked past her to take over driving the boat from Tenten snapping her out of the daze she was in.

Frazzled and blushing from head to toe, Hinata reached over the side of the boat and took the ski from Sasuke before he began climbing up the ladder.

"Alright Hinata, it is your turn," Sasuke told her when he stepped inside the boat.

"N-no, I don't think so," she stammered uneasily not wanting to make a fool of herself in front of them. "I t-think I will pass."

Her eyes shot a desperate look over at Tenten to help her out.

"I'll go next," her friend volunteered automatically with a small shrug of her slim shoulders.

"Fine, I will drive the boat," Sasuke told her as his dark eyes flickered over her body dressed in a red bikini.

Tenten rolled her eyes and bit back a wry smile, knowing she was about to get paid back for her little stunt earlier when she had tried to dump them into the water.

"Just show me what I need to do," she told him flatly and began climbing down the ladder into the water. Sasuke handed her a pair of skis and began giving her instructions on how to water-ski.

Hinata slumped down in her seat and was grateful Tenten was here, because she hated being on display or having to perform anything in front of others. She thought water-skiing looked really fun, but just didn't want to have to learn in front of them, especially after seeing how awesome Itachi and his brother were at it.

Itachi moved out of the driver's seat so Sasuke could take his place. He sat in the seat next to Hinata as she watched her friend out in the water learn how to water-ski. A small frown slipped over his face as he could feel her shrink away from him in her seat.

Sighing and looking away from her, he missed the easy rapport they had finally achieved near the end of the evening last night. Now, they were back to where they had begun, as she retreated further away from him.

For someone who was supposed to be a genius he felt baffled on what to do next with her. For the first time in his life he felt nervous because somehow he knew if he messed up with her, she would tell him she didn't want to see him again. And he was not about to let that happen.

He turned toward her and watched her face as she sent an encouraging smile to her friend out in the water after Tenten had the handle ripped out of her hands again for the second time while being dragged up out of the water. Tenten smacked the water hard with her fist as she became angry at herself for failing.

As the boat circled around her, and she could reach the rope again, Itachi stood up and gave her some pointers. "Stay relaxed and allow the boat to gradually pull you up, almost as if you were sitting on your skis, then try to stand up."

Tenten bent her knees more in front of her and shot him a grateful look, before giving Sasuke the signal she was ready to try again.

Itachi sat back down next to Hinata and she gave him a small smile for helping her friend, "Thank you, she can be really hard on herself when she messes up."

Itachi looked at her and thought her friend wasn't the only one who was hard on herself.

"Would you like to go next, I will teach you?" Itachi asked her after they both heard the low roar of the engine as the boat propelled forward and saw Tenten gradually emerge out of the water and stand up on the skis.

Hinata clapped and gave Tenten the thumbs up sign before turning to him and was biting her lip, "Well…I don't know…" she began hesitantly before darting a winsome glance in Tenten's direction. She saw her friend was smiling and looked like she was having a lot of fun.

"Um, I can be a little uncoordinated…sometimes," Hinata admitted to him as her father's harsh face appeared before her telling her she was an idiot. Her eyes lowered to the floor.

"Everybody falls at least a couple of times when they first learn," Itachi reassured her with a patient look.

Hinata looked over at him skeptically, doubting very much that he had struggled to learn anything in his whole life. "Even you?"

"Yes, even me," he responded with a small, lopsided grin, but left out that years ago his father had made him and Sasuke learn on one (Slalom) ski the first time, and it is much more difficult than learning on two skis.

At the warmth of his smile, Hinata felt her guard around him slip a little as he watched her, and waited for her to give him an answer.

She took a small breath and glanced again over at Tenten who was clearly having a blast, and decided to be brave and give it a shot. "Okay…I'll try it."

* * *

Hinata's legs began to shake a little as she felt the drag of the water against her skis, and forced herself to not panic, but began to sit down and flatten out her skis out on the water. Now instead of being dragged through the water her skis were skimming on top of it, and she could now stand up.

Slowly she began to rise and elation skipped through her as she stood up on them and began water-skiing.

_I did it! _

She lifted shining eyes toward Tenten who was sitting next to Sasuke at the back of the boat. Her friend grinned in support and gave her the thumbs up sign.

As the sun shone on her face and the wind rushed through her hair, she felt gloriously alive and free. Not to mention, she had met her fear of failing head on, and defeated it.

_This is so much fun_…she thought, and watched as a speed boat came too close to her leaving a giant wave in its wake.

_Oh…not good_, Hinata thought direly as she braced herself just before the wave crashed into her water-skis making her off balance and her face slammed into the water... hard. For a second she felt the breath was knocked out of her before her life jacked lifted her head to the surface. After taking a deep breath of air, she put her hand over her face, and saw her hand was covered with blood.

From the boat, Itachi had watched her fall and had immediately cut the engine and dove in and swam out to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her when he reached her; her face was pale as she stared at the blood in her hand. One of her skis had popped off of her foot and was floating near her.

"Yes…I think so," she responded in a somewhat shaky voice.

Itachi quickly assessed her with an efficient glance, and saw she only had a bloody nose.

"Pinch your nose closed until the bleeding stops," he instructed her.

Hinata complied and looked at him as he floated near her with a rueful and slightly embarrassed smile, "Well, at least I had fun before I fell."

"That other boat should not have come so close to you," he complained darkly as he glanced in the direction the boat had taken.

Hinata felt warm inside at how protective he was over her, not to mention she had seen how quickly he had dove into the water to help her.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Tenten asked her as Sasuke drove the boat close to them.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just got a bloody nose from hitting the water," Hinata responded with a frustrated grin.

"Well, I thought you did great," Tenten said encouragingly as she took the skis from her.

"You did very well for a beginner," Itachi told her as he gestured for her to climb up the boat ladder first.

Hinata blushed under all of their praise as she ascended up the ladder into the boat. Turning around, she watched Itachi enter the boat and couldn't help noticing his wet shirt as it stuck to him. It made her feel good that he had been so worried about her he didn't even bother to remove his shirt before entering the water.

"Thank you, Itachi," Hinata told him with a shy smile as she dried herself off with a towel.

Itachi nodded a little solemnly as his eyes took in her slightly swollen nose, "I'm glad you're okay," he responded a little uncomfortably as he took the edge of his towel and wiped off a spot of blood from her face. "Are you ready for some lunch?"

"Yes, that sounds good," she said softly as she looked over at Tenten who was emphatically agreeing with her.

He turned away from her and saw Sasuke was giving him a knowing smirk.

Itachi ignored him, and pulled out a cooler and set it in on one of the seats. After he lifted the lid, he began pulling out the food he had the hotel prepare for them earlier in the day.

**Author's Note:** Okay, I know the ending was a little abrupt but I think I want to make a part two of this chapter and just start up again where I left off. I already have part of the next chapter written and I might make the story a little bit longer than I had originally planned. (We'll see how it all pans out...) This story is a little therapeutic for me, and it is like taking a mental vacation...so I am not in a hurry to finish it.

Edited: 4/13/12


	5. Chapter 5

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

_Thank you so much for taking pity on a struggling writer of fanfics ~ I adored all of your comments and they helped me to write much faster lol: Narya Vilya, Lady Crack, Narutonarutolove, KagomeMarie, Jay-Boogie, Chilly Wind, Rebekah-San, Champylin, Leeann2002, MayMai, Cho-Hime, MayJay, Person of Death. This continuation chapter is for all of you. (I hope you like it…) Sorry if there are a lot of errors, I was in a hurry to post it:)_

* * *

Lunch was rather quiet as everyone was almost ravenously hungry after water-skiing, and all of the sun and fresh air.

Instead of relaxing after lunch, Hinata began putting the leftover food back into the cooler to keep it from spoiling in the hot sun. Back home she was always busy with work, or had some social obligation to attend with her father. She was hardly ever was allowed to be idle, and now that she had free time she didn't quite know what to do with herself.

Hinata glanced over and saw Tenten talking with Sasuke up on the bow of the boat, and noticed her friend was getting along pretty well with him. It made sense to her because from what she knew of them, they were both very competitive and driven people.

Her eyes moved over onto Sasuke as she remembered him from long ago. She had met him when they were both twelve, and they had to attend the same martial arts class for a few months. A small nostalgic smile came over her face as her mind recalled how he used to always fight with a sunny-haired boy in their class named, Naruto. The two of them would train and fight endlessly until they would both either collapse in exhaustion or their sensei would have to break them up.

Back then Sasuke had been a very sore loser almost to the point of insanity.

Now after meeting Itachi, his behavior back then became a lot more understandable to her. Her heart went out to him as she realized growing up with a much lauded genius for an older brother had to be extremely difficult for him. She was glad that Sasuke appeared to have moved past those insecurities and actually got along very well with his brother.

And Tenten, she had met her a few years ago when she was still attending college. Hinata had been super shy and tended to keep to herself, but one day the older girl had come up to her at lunch and asked to sit with her. Over time a fast friendship had developed between the two of them, and after Tenten had graduated, Hinata helped her get a job in her father's company. After Hinata graduated last year, she made Tenten her personal assistant as well as a manager over one of HGI's smaller branches in Tokyo.

Like her, Tenten put in horrendously long hours at the office, yet (unlike Hinata) she always managed to make time to go out with friends, and co-workers, and have fun occasionally. Tenten was persistent in the way she kept trying to get Hinata out of her shell and get out and meet people. But Hinata consistently resisted her efforts because she was afraid her father would consider Tenten to be a bad influence on her and fire her, so she would always decline to go out with her.

It was a funny relationship the two girls had, as they were both, in their own ways, very protective over each other. Tenten knew without Hinata she would have probably never gotten the opportunities she had to advance so rapidly in the business world. Not to mention, she was well on her way to becoming a millionaire, thanks to Neji's brilliant investment advice.

And Hinata knew without a doubt that her friend was absolutely loyal to her. She was immensely grateful Tenten had come with her today, otherwise Neji, out of his misbegotten sense of duty, would have followed her and that would have been intolerable for all of them.

Hinata smiled a little wistfully as she heard Tenten laugh out loud at something Sasuke said to her.

_At least they are having a good time_…

A quick glance in Itachi's direction showed her he had lifted the hood over the boat's engine and was methodically checking it over to make sure everything was working properly on it. His face seemed unreadable and there was a stillness about him that made her feel like he was deep in thought.

Not wanting to interrupt him she looked away and pretended to be busy as she put the lid on the cooler and wiped the top of it off with a damp napkin before sitting down on one of the empty seats. A sigh escaped her as she felt his eyes turn in her direction, and Hinata knew he had to be wondering why she was avoiding him.

_I'm sorry; Itachi_…reverberated on the walls of her mind as she just couldn't get past the feeling of being overwhelmed by him. On one hand, he was like a living, breathing, walking dream to her – literally her ideal man. Yet on the other; he was brilliant, complicated and a nightmare for her to be around.

Hinata was at a loss about how to communicate with him, every time she tried to speak to him, her tongue would feel tangled in knots. She wanted to get to know him but she was too afraid to try. So she just avoided him.

The crushing awkwardness between them all started with that phone call he had received earlier and had gone skidding downhill from there. She kept waiting for him to offer to take her back to their hotel, but so far he seemed content to let things stay the way they were…and she had no idea why he kept prolonging their misery.

* * *

Itachi wiped the engine oil off of his hands on a towel before walking over and sitting down behind the steering wheel in the seat next to hers. A weary sigh escaped him as he turned toward her, he was tired of the barrier of formality that existed between them, and throughout the day had tried everything to reach the person he had met last night, and failed miserably.

It was painfully ironic to him that he had always prided himself on his ability to read people, and had been doing it almost as long as he could remember. In business, his gift had made him unbelievably formidable in negotiating deals with other companies. He always knew when the other side was ready to cave in and then he would make his move.

But with her, his gift was failing him, he felt like it had led him astray last night - leading him to see things between them that clearly did not exist.

Somehow, erroneously so, he had thought her feelings of enchantment and talk of "magic" throughout the evening had included him. In the harsh light of the day, he had to conclude that he had been wrong in thinking she liked him as much as he did her.

She had been intoxicated by the excitement, and glittering lights of Las Vegas, but not by him.

Feeling an unprecedented amount of confused frustration in his mind, he tried to figure out a way to at least get her to talk to him again. But her distance and social mask slammed tightly into place were telling him goodbye as clearly if she had spoken the word out loud.

Feelings of rejection closed in on him, knowing he was running out of rope as he stood dangerously on the edge of a precipice with her, Itachi closed his eyes wearily before touching her shoulder as he tried to get her attention.

"Hinata?" he asked softly and his stomach twisted in knots when he saw her startle, and move away from him.

"Yes?" She responded, but was unable to meet his gaze.

"Look at me, please."

Setting her shoulders and staring out into the distance with the kind of expression one makes when they have to do or say something difficult, Hinata lifted her eyes toward his with an apology in them, "I'm sorry, I am… ruining your afternoon…" she began with quiet sincerity and looked as though she was on the verge of tears.

Itachi watched her closely before brushing off her apologies as nothing more than polite nonsense. "Hinata, why are you acting this way?"

"I…I'm sorry, I…" she stammered out uncomfortably feeling her social mask begin slip horribly as she tried to tell him how much she wanted to get to know him, but was gripped by shy self-consciousness whenever she tried to talk to him.

"You have done nothing wrong," Itachi told her quietly as he touched her back and began to move his hand soothingly over her bare skin like he did last night and he heard her breath catch in her throat as a light blush slid over her face.

He moved closer to her as the way she felt next to him reminded of him of last night; for a few moments there was the same flow between them, instead of stilted politeness.

"Did I do something to upset you? Is that why you have been avoiding me?" He asked her gently as his hands smoothed over her skin.

Hinata felt something inside of her thaw and twist at the same time. He really was wonderful, but…maybe he was too wonderful…and scary too as she couldn't forget his voice as he spoke to his co-worker on the phone on the drive over here.

_I'm so sorry Itachi_…_It's not you – it's me. I will never be able to live up to your expectations – and we just don't fit together_, her tortured mind whispered inside her head.

Hinata shook her head sadly, not able to trust herself to speak the words out loud as she shifted her eyes toward the ground before telling him in a small defeated voice, "I think you… should take us back to the hotel now."

He stared at her for a long moment, and with stiff movements settled back into his seat, and took a deep breath before turning the key in the ignition and starting the engine.

Hinata felt like crying as she felt the boat propel forward, and begin to speed across the water back toward the house.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, she peeked over at him with her peripheral vision, and tried to gauge his reaction to her unspoken wish to end things between them and saw his expression was so closed off it was unreadable to her.

The fact that she couldn't read him made her strangely feel better about her decision. After all, how can you trust someone who can cover up their emotions as well as he could? She was a Hyuuga and she had learned how to read body language from the time she was little. Yet she couldn't read him at all, it was just one more thing about him that made her nervous.

As she turned her eyes toward the shore, she decided it was for the best, he could do so much better than her and she didn't want to ever see him look at her with cold disappointed eyes, the way her father does.

Staring off over the side of the boat and feeling as though the bright sun shining so brightly above them was almost mocking them, she wished things could be different between them. And knew deep down she was being an idiot for not even trying to get to know him better, but if she couldn't get past her fears, then there was nothing she could do about it.

Her mood began to plummet even lower when she could see in the distance the dock and the house was looming ever closer. She knew after they tied down the boat and loaded up the car, then he would drive them back to the hotel and that would be the end of it.

* * *

When they were about two hundred yards from the shore Itachi shut off the engine. On the bow of the boat, Sasuke and Tenten gave him a questioning look as they tried to figure out what he was doing.

"Do you know how to swim?" Itachi asked Hinata suddenly.

Perplexed at his question, Hinata turned toward him warily, "Yes."

"Good," he told her before standing up suddenly; he lifted her up into his arms and jumped over the side of the boat making a loud splash.

Hinata's startled yelp was soon cut off by the shock of cold water as they sunk below it. Flailing her hands wildly, she made her way up to the surface. coughing and spluttering as she filled her lungs with lovely air.

Sasuke watched as their heads popped up above the surface, and he decided his brother had either lost his mind, or Hinata had accomplished something no one else had ever done before.

She made his perfect brother lose his composure.

After seeing the way Itachi was looking at Hinata as she stared back at him with shocked eyes, Sasuke knew it was the latter. With a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, he moved into the driver's seat and shot his brother a look telling him he wished him luck before starting up the engine.

"We will meet you back at the house," Itachi informed Sasuke and Tenten. His eyes locked on to Tenten's and she saw something in them that made her grin and feel like sighing - like a pathetic schoolgirl. She hoped Hinata realized how lucky she was.

Sasuke shook his head slightly in disgust letting his brother know he thought he was acting like a lovesick fool getting all worked up over some chick.

"Whatever," he said as he lowered the shifter and drove off.

Out in the water, Hinata watched the boat leave them with eyes full of misgiving before turning them on Itachi. "Why did you do that?"

"I wanted to spend more time with you," he answered unemotionally before looking away from her.

Hinata was stunned, "Why?

Itachi shot her a frustrated look that told her the reason should be obvious to her. "I like you," he also stated in case she still refused to believe him.

Hinata looked at him with a mixture of wonder and doubt before she began swimming a few strokes toward the shore. "Um…I like you too," she admitted quietly as she looked over at him with a shy and embarrassed smile, "but you make me… nervous."

Itachi gave her a relieved look as he began to feel like he was getting somewhere with her... finally. "How do I make you nervous?"

Stalling to answer as she had no idea where to even begin, Hinata flipped on her back and began swimming the backstroke before she lifted her head out of the water and darted a nervous look at him, "Well…you are…so...and I…I am so…" she began hesitantly, knowing she was not making any sense at all. She sighed and just gave up, thinking it was all hopeless and began swimming ahead of him.

Itachi caught up to her and knew what one of the problems was; he should have realized sooner his reputation as a genius was intimidating to many people after they heard his name. He was so sick of it; she was the last person he wanted to feel intimidated by him.

He swam closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder and she stopped swimming and floated next to him. When she looked over at him she was surprised to see his dark eyes were full of self-reproach.

"Hinata, I am _so intelligent,_ that the best ideas I could come up with to get you to talk to me, were to ply you with champagne last night, and then toss you into the lake today…hardly the actions of a genius," he said in a cool voice tinged with irony and self-disgust.

A shocked giggle escaped her as his words began to sink in past her crushing self doubt. He really did _like_ her – even after she had practically ignored him today. And he wasn't mad at her, but he actually blamed himself for not being able _to talk_ to her.

Still uncomfortable about what to say to him next, Hinata looked ahead and saw they were almost at the dock and she could see the boat was already tied down and Sasuke and Tenten must have already went up to the house.

They were both were deep in thought as they swam the rest of the way to the ladder and Itachi let her climb up first. After they were standing and dripping water awkwardly on the dock, he reached over the side into the boat and found a towel for each of them and held one out to her.

"Thank you," she said with shy downcast eyes before glancing longingly over at the house as she thought about escaping and changing clothes as feelings of self-consciousness began to take over her again because her swimsuit was dripping wet and clinging to her, making her feel like she was practically naked in front of him.

After taking a few quick steps down the dock she stopped suddenly when she heard his unemotional and slightly amused voice ask her a question, "So, what do I have to do to get you to stay with me now – toss you in the lake again?"

Whirling around, she found Itachi had moved behind her and was standing very close to her. Looking up at him, his bare chest was temptingly near to her mouth. Feeling adrenaline rocket through her system at his proximity, she took a step back and her eyes drank in the incredibly sexy sight of him with his dark hair clinging to his neck as it dripped with water.

A helpless smile touched Hinata's mouth as she felt she owed it to him to try to admit something else that was hindering her ability to communicate with him.

She swallowed as her throat felt dry as dust, "It is not just your intelligence… that intimidates me, you…you are also very…um," she said and saw he was staring at her with eyes full of tender amusement.

Relief flooded through her as she recognized that look on his face from last night. It made him feel less like a stranger to her.

She continued to stare at him before trying to speak to him again; "You…are um…very…well…" she tried and closed her eyes shut tightly in frustration at her cursed shyness because she couldn't get the words out.

"I am glad you think so…" he responded smoothly as his fingers pushed some of her damp hair from her face. Hinata's eyes fluttered open and widened as his voice sounded like a caress to her.

"I think you are too," he said quietly as his eyes drifted meaningfully over her face.

Hinata swallowed as she stared up into his warm black eyes and her defenses against him began to slip even more. Her breath caught in her throat when his hands slid down her face until they settled comfortably on her shoulders.

Itachi stared down at her, his expression was almost solemn as his hands drifted lazily over her bare shoulders and down her back.

"So, Hinata," he began cautiously as his eyes searched hers, "Where do we go from here?"

She stared up at him and knew he was giving her the opportunity to walk away from him if she still wanted to, or she could give him another chance. Her eyes grew soft as she realized he had achieved another first with her – he was the first person to look beyond her as Hiashi's daughter. His actions today proved to her he was interested in her alone, and not because she was the Hyuuga heiress. Nobody in her life, including Neji and Tenten had been able to do that, to them and everybody else she knew, she was the Hyuuga heiress first and Hinata second.

Hinata almost sighed when she saw the subtle shift in his expression as he began to grow worried as she took so long to answer him.

_I'm sorry, Itachi_, she thought as she looked at him and still felt some doubts about rushing into something that was more than she could handle. Growing up with a father as hard and demanding as hers had taught her to be cautious - probably too much so.

"Do you mind if we, um…just stay friends…for now," she asked hesitantly and her eyes pleaded with his to give her more time to sort out her feelings and learn to trust him more.

Itachi nodded and released the breath he didn't even know he had been holding. He could accept being friends for now, even though both of them knew there was something else between them. At least she wasn't ready to give up on the two of them completely; so he still had a chance with her.

Reaching down and wrapping his hand around hers in an uncomplicated, friendly sort of way, he began walking with her toward the house…

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, I left the ending a little open (again). I wanted to post this chapter as a continuation of the previous one. And because so many of you left me reviews I felt I should post it for you ASAP.

Anyway, I am concerned about pacing this story too slow or too fast. So, I would like to pose a question for all of you. Should I keep them here at the lake for one more chapter or take them back to town? I am flexible either way, but I am curious about what you guys think about it. Let me know and I will take your wishes into consideration when I post the next chapter. Thanks so much for your interest in this story; it is quickly becoming very, very fun to write.

Edited: 4/13/12


	6. Chapter 6

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Standing in ready position with knees bent and racquet out in front of her, Hinata startled when she heard her phone ring on the bench next to the court.

"Wait please, I will turn it off," she told her partner as he waited behind the baseline as he was about to serve the tennis ball to Sasuke.

Itachi nodded patiently and bounced the ball with his racket as he waited for her to get back in position at the net.

Hinata looked at the screen on her phone and saw it was from her cousin and after setting it to vibrate, she decided to call him later. The others were waiting for her anyway so they could resume their match.

She hurried back into position on the backhand side court at the net, "Okay, I am ready now," she told Itachi before looking nervously across the net at Sasuke.

"Forty – thirty," Itachi called out the score before tossing the ball up in the air and crushing it hard down the center of the service box to Sasuke.

Sasuke was practically salivating when he saw his brother had served to his forehand. Taking a huge cut at it, he ripped it down the center over the low part of the net.

Hinata saw it coming and chose to let it go because it looked like it was going out, "Let it go!" She warned Itachi and as he was rushing toward the net he pulled his racquet away at the last minute and the ball sailed past him.

"Out," he said agreeing with her as the ball dropped a few inches behind the baseline.

Hinata closed her eyes in relief that she had judged the ball correctly; she would have felt horrible if it had dropped in.

On the other side of the net, Sasuke threw his racquet across the court and swore, pissed off that they had let them back into the set. They had been up and if they could have broken Itachi's serve they would have won. Now they had to settle it in a tie-breaker.

_Fuck!_

Shaking her head at her partner's ultra-competitiveness, Tenten walked over and picked up his racquet from off of the court and handed it to him, "Come on, we'll beat them in the tie-break. We'll just have to cut down on our unforced errors."

Taking a deep breath and feeling unusually mollified by her confident tone, Sasuke nodded and walked over to the side of the court and drank some water. As he headed back to his side of the court, he was glad Tenten was with him. Sometimes playing sports against his brother made him lose his temper and become insane. Itachi was just so damn hard to beat at anything, but maybe today with her on his side he would get his chance... she was obviously a better player than Hinata was.

On the other side of the court, Hinata blushed when Itachi told her good call.

"Well…your serve was great," she responded shyly giving him most of the credit. She was relieved he was so awesome, because she was easily the weakest player out there. The other three had all played tennis competitively in college and she only knew how to play because her father made her take private lessons for most of her life so she wouldn't embarrass him at the exclusive club their family belonged to.

Hinata glanced at Itachi before moving back to the service line. Her eyes locked with his and she felt some of his confidence begin to bolster her. It dawned on her that she was losing some of her nervousness around him and was actually starting to have fun.

She stood on the balls of her feet with her racquet out in front of her and waited for Sasuke to serve the ball to Itachi. Watching him closely she prepared herself to call the ball out if it missed the service box.

"Tie break," Sasuke called out before serving the ball to Itachi. He returned the ball by slicing it over Tenten's head and she quickly switched over to the other side while Sasuke chased the ball down.

Hinata rushed the net, while Itachi moved forward.

Sasuke hit the ball hard toward Hinata at the net and she volleyed it out as she opened the face of her racquet a little too much.

Tenten came over to him with intensely competitive eyes and gave him a high five. "Good job," she encouraged him.

"We can do this," Sasuke responded trying to motivate himself as he moved back to his side of the court near the baseline.

Hinata took a deep breath and tried to not let their intensity intimidate her as she took her position by the net and waited for Itachi to serve to Sasuke. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Itachi was walking towards her.

"You are doing fine," he told her patiently as he spoke to her in a quiet voice. "I am going to serve down the middle, I need you to take a step closer to the alley and I will cover down the middle."

"Okay," she replied trusting that he had a plan and watched as he walked back to serve.

"Love – fifteen," he stated before serving down the middle on Sasuke.

Just like last time, Sasuke hit the serve hard down the center and Hinata moved slightly to the side and let Itachi move up the center and volley it with his forehand. Itachi slanted the ball out wide into the doubles alley on Sasuke's side who crushed a backhand at Hinata.

Seeing the ball was coming towards her very, very fast, Hinata stuck out her racquet and held onto the handle tightly and closed her eyes as the ball made contact. Lucky for her it hit solidly on her strings, sending the ball screaming past Tenten as it landed in the corner of the doubles alley for a winner.

An ecstatic grin formed on her face when she turned around and raced over to Itachi and locked hands with him.

"You are doing well," he told her before looking at her with eyes that were calmly bolstering her confidence.

"I am going to serve to Tenten now, make sure you cover your alley..."

She followed his instructions and after a few more perfectly placed serves by him, they held serve…

An hour and a half later, they were all dripping with sweat in the late afternoon sun. Itachi and Sasuke had both taken off their shirts and at the last change-over Hinata poured half of her water bottle over her head. It was hot out, but they were all having a great time. Tenten and Sasuke talked strategy in between points and took every point very seriously.

While Hinata and Itachi most of the time just kept things relaxed on their side, he would sometimes give her pointers on positioning or encourage her when he felt like she needed it. They smiled at each other a lot.

Hinata was finding he was a lot more patient than she had realized. While she was actually playing pretty well, she occasionally made some mistakes and it cost them a few games. In those situations her father would have jumped all over her and would have become very angry with her but Itachi just shrugged it off and encouraged her to do her best.

She had never had more fun playing tennis in her life, it was the first time she was able to keep herself held together during a competitive situation and it made her feel wonderful.

The match was tied at one set each and they were now in a tie breaker for the last set. Sasuke was serving to Itachi at 7 to 6. Sasuke knew if they could just win this point, he and Tenten would win the match and he would accomplish the unthinkable - defeat his brother for the first time in his life.

His eyes were deadly serious as he tossed up the ball and then caught it nervously when he didn't like the position of it. As he tossed up the ball again, he swallowed and mentally prayed before swinging his racquet above his head and serving the ball out wide to Itachi's backhand.

On his side of the net, Itachi was ready for it and returned it hard back over to his brother. Sasuke crushed it back hard over the center. Hinata took a chance and stepped over to poach it. She volleyed it back over in the middle near Tenten who stabbed out her racquet with a reaction volley and the ball fell short and hit the top of the net and dribbled over onto the court and bounced twice before Hinata and Itachi could reach it.

It was such a weak and lucky shot that Tenten waved her hand disgustedly with a laugh before Sasuke dropped his racquet, picked her up and spun her around a few times.

"Woah," she gasped as his strong arms crushed her tightly against his hard, sweaty chest. Staring down into his dark eyes she saw something in them that was so different than his usual look of mocking cynicism that she couldn't help smiling at him. He looked so relaxed, almost boyishly free, and it seemed to her like he just had a heavy weight lifted off of his shoulders.

Her breath caught in her throat when his mouth touched hers almost jubilantly before he set her down and quickly contained himself becoming once again the Sasuke she had met earlier in the day.

"Thank you Tenten," he whispered to her in a rough voice before pulling away from her and they began walking toward the net to shake Itachi and Hinata's hands.

"Uhg, I feel kind of bad though, that last shot was just so pathetic," she replied with a self-deprecating laugh.

"I don't care, we won, that's all that matters," Sasuke told her with a fierce grin.

"Still, I hate winning that way, but I have to agree with you I hate losing even more," she told him in a quiet voice for his ears only before stopping at the net and shook Itachi's hand with a courteous smile.

"You played very well," Sasuke told Hinata as he shook her hand across the net. She looked up at him and was surprised to see in his eyes he actually meant it.

"T-thanks, you did too," she responded with graceful courtesy back to him as a small blush began to crept up her cheeks.

"Well done, brother," Itachi told Sasuke as he shook his hand in a firm grip.

He was almost solemn as he knew this small victory meant something special to his younger brother. Growing up together, Itachi never took it easy on Sasuke when they competed against each other and had never lost to him at anything. (Well, except for a line dancing competition their father made them enter when they were younger. It was a corporate event that Sasuke had ended up winning, but since both of them just wanted to forget all about that hellish nightmare of an event, they didn't actually count it as a win in the official tally.)

"Thanks brother, you guys did well too," Sasuke said smugly with a challenging look in his eyes. "Perhaps we should have a rematch since it was so close..."

"Fine, we accept," Itachi countered with shrug and picked up his racquet and looked ready to go on the court again.

Beside him Hinata blanched when she saw they were actually serious about playing more tennis. They had already played for three hours, and water-skied earlier! She was dead tired and utterly famished.

"Well, it will have to be some other time," Tenten complained as she sent a frustrated glance towards Hinata at their nearly insane competitiveness, who nodded her head emphatically in agreement with her friend. "I'm done, and I am starving."

"Same here, I-I can't play anymore," Hinata added shyly, standing up for herself for once. "Um, you guys can keep playing if you like though."

Sasuke shared a mocking look with his brother at their wimping out and sighed, "Fine then, I will buy everyone dinner to compensate winning that way."

Hinata glanced over at Itachi and saw his lips twitch and felt amused relief that they had been teasing them all along. They had her going there for a moment.

Tenten had also figured them out and decided to get back at them, "In that case, Hinata and I get to choose the place."

Hinata's eyes lit up with mirth as she watched Sasuke's amused smirk fade as he looked at Tenten.

"What kind of place?" He asked flatly with a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Well, I heard of… a nice French restaurant that has a cute little pond outside of it, with beautiful swans swimming in it, and you can go out there and feed them," Hinata mentioned biting back a giggle as she watched Sasuke's mouth twist with distaste at the mention of swans and French cuisine and shake his head emphatically, "No way."

"Hmm, that sounds perfect," Tenten said as she sent a dazzling smile in Sasuke's direction.

"I know of the place, I will make a reservation," Itachi said as he pulled out his cell phone and used the internet to find the phone number for the Aureole. He looked over at Hinata whose shoulders were shaking with mirth as she held back her artless laughter. Her eyes met his and they shared a smile at his brother's obvious reluctance to go to such a romantic place.

"Traitor," Sasuke muttered to his brother under his breath as he walked by him scowling. _Hn_, the fucking prissy restaurant sounded like one of the places his mother made him take her to whenever she visited him in LA.

Tenten nudged Sasuke good-naturedly as she walked with him toward the house, "Come on, it will be fun."

"Tch, it better be, it's going to cost me a fortune," he complained more to himself than to her, his mouth relaxed into a faint smile as he looked at her. There was something about her that made him feel very comfortable around her.

Tenten gaped at him with a laugh and sputtered, "It's not like you can't afford it, you cheapska…."

Her teasing of him was smothered by Sasuke's abrupt kiss as he covered her mouth with his, kissing her deeply…kissing her, Tenten realized, with gratitude. She felt herself melt into him and when he finally lifted his head she basked in the admiration of his smile, "Sasuke?"

"I knew when I met you earlier today, my mother would like you," he mused dryly. "You are very good for me," he said more to himself then to her before lowering his head and trying to kiss her again.

Tenten stepped away from him with a push, thinking he was getting a little too familiar with her, and decided she liked his mother without even meeting her. "Yeah, probably because I am the first girl you've met that isn't dazzled by your good looks, and the size of your bank account."

At her bluntness, Sasuke grinned before giving her a skeptical look, "I think your immunity to my type is wearing off."

Tenten sighed and lifted her eyes skyward, _grr,_ _he is so full of himself_, but she was nothing, if not honest. "Alright," she admitted with a glower directed at him, "I am beginning to tolerate you…a little."

Sasuke felt a small glow of victory at her words before it hit him like a punch in the stomach that he was becoming as whipped by her, as his brother was by Hinata.

_Oh hell no_, his male sense of self-preservation kicked in making him want to run far away. She was dangerous, very dangerous…he was starting to feel like a noose was being tightened around his neck.

Turning abruptly away from her, Sasuke walked up the path to the house and up the few steps onto the porch before opening the door with the key. Holding the door open for her with exaggerated courtesy he kept his eyes on her as she entered the house.

Reluctantly, he couldn't help admiring her as he watched her move confidently up the stairs to find a bathroom to get ready. While he was still holding open the door, Itachi and Hinata came through it and his brother shot him an amused and knowing look, "Thank you for holding open the door for us."

Feeling like an idiot, Sasuke closed the door behind them and muttered, "Whatever," and strode away to go get ready.

With his hand resting lightly on her back, Itachi guided Hinata up the stairs toward the bathroom, "I would like to leave within a half an hour, if possible," he stated with a look that told her that was what he hoped for but doubted it was going to happen. He had never met a woman that didn't take forever getting ready; his mother was the worst offender out of all of them.

"Okay, I will try my best," she responded softly before entering the bathroom.

Precisely twenty seven minutes later Itachi and Sasuke sat down on a couch, completely ready to go, and hungry as hell. They shared a long suffering look hoping they wouldn't have to wait forever before the girls finished getting ready.

A noise on top of the stairs drew their attention and they looked over and saw Tenten and Hinata, both wearing short red, casual dresses, with a lot of leg showing. Each of them opted to wear their hair down long and had just a little bit of make-up on. Their hair was still a little damp and they both had a healthy sun-kissed glow from being out in the sun all day.

The brothers shared an impressed look as Itachi glanced at his watch and saw they had plenty of time to make it back to town and the reservation he had made for them.

As he walked towards the stairs, Itachi noted once again Hinata had chosen a dress that was tasteful as well as sexy, it suited her perfectly. Inwardly he was amused and grateful, when he noticed, unlike Tenten; she was wearing flat shoes, which he thought was a very wise choice considering her propensity for tripping over things.

"You are very punctual," he told her in a soft voice as he reached for her hand, the look in his eyes told her it was the single greatest compliment he could offer her.

Tenten and Hinata grinned at each other and shared a look of mutual suffering before Hinata admitted to him shyly, "Well, it's because we are starving."

"Well, so are we," Sasuke said as his eyes slid over Tenten provocatively. "So, let's go."

Her eyes narrowed and she folded her arms over her chest but ruined it when the corner of her mouth twitched, "I am not sitting in the backseat with you again, Uchiha," she told him firmly before winking at Itachi.

"Fine with me, I would prefer to drive anyway, Itachi drives too slow."

Itachi handed him the keys and gave Tenten a look telling her he was grateful she was so lenient in her duties as a chaperone before he began to lead Hinata over toward the car.

* * *

_How little we know ourselves_ Hinata mused as she moved into the backseat of the car. As she watched him slide into the seat next to her, she had to hand it to Itachi. Earlier in the day she had given him an inch in their newly formed trial-friendship and somehow with the brilliance and determination of a master tactician he turned that inch into a half a foot.

It was getting harder and harder for her to keep her distance from him when he was just so attentive. His eyes when he looked at her were filled with the warmth of the sun, and for someone like her who had been treated like she had no value in her life except for her name; his interest in her was very, very flattering. Combine that with her attraction to his incredible good looks her defenses against him were beginning to crumble around her into dust.

As Hinata watched him sitting next to her, her eyes drifted admiringly over the casual black designer jeans and dark gray shirt and couldn't help but appreciate the lengths he was going to make her feel comfortable around him.

Earlier, she had been nervous when he challenged Sasuke and Tenten to a match of tennis doubles. She thought for sure she was going to fall apart and embarrass herself in front of all of them, but somehow it turned out to be a great experience.

During the tennis match he had encouraged her and treated her like an equal partner, instead of making her feel like dead weight as her father did whenever they had to compete at some social event at the tennis club they belonged to back home.

By the time evening rolled around she almost felt comfortable around him. At least she wasn't gripped by crushing shyness with him any longer and only jumped a little now whenever he touched her…which he did constantly.

The feel of him near her, soothed and excited her at the same time.

Beside her, Itachi picked up her hand and slid closer to her, "You look incredible tonight."

"So do you," she blurted out before she could stop herself. Her face grew warm as her eyes drifted over him appreciatively; thinking him and his brother could easily pass for male models for GQ Magazine.

"Thank you."

Meeting each other's eyes they looked at each other and smiled.

Hinata took a deep breath and felt captivated by the warmth of his eyes, and the way he smiled at her.

Turning her eyes away from his and facing the front, she knew if he kept being so nice to her, she wouldn't have any defense left at all against him. It would be so ridiculously easy for her to fall in love with him. After that happened it was just a matter of time before he saw how incredibly messed up she was and moved on to someone else. Besides she was leaving in a few days to return to Tokyo and he would be going back to New York.

A long-distance relationship between them would never work…

Feeling very alone, she turned from him and wrapped her arms tightly around herself in a protective gesture.

Itachi slid his arm around her and began gently smoothing his hand over her shoulder and bare arm in a comforting manner. "What is the matter?"

Slipping on her comfortable social mask Hinata tried to evade him, "I am fine."

"No, you aren't," he persisted cautiously. "Do I still make you nervous?"

Hinata closed her eyes because, God help her, she could honestly say he didn't make her nervous any more. For all that she knew he could be forbidding and cold, he also could be kind and…very patient.

"No," she responded honestly with a small smile and lifted her eyes to his.

Itachi leaned closer to her, "Then talk to me. Surprisingly, I have found I can be a good listener when I want to be."

A small laugh escaped her at his attempt to cheer her, "You are very kind," she told him as she covered his hand in a friendly manner with hers.

Itachi looked away from her, and his eyes became hard as he stared off into the distance, "Most people who meet me do not share your opinion."

Hinata immediately felt her heart go out to him as she was sure what he said had to be true. It wasn't hard to see how a lot of people _would_ be very intimidated by his flawless looks, brilliance and cold demeanor, herself included. But after spending time with him she also found that there was depth to him and a natural sense of courtesy that was lacking in many others she had met.

"Um, well…you can be… a little intimidating," Hinata admitted to him using a gentle voice so she wouldn't hurt his feelings.

"I know," Itachi responded with a look that told her he didn't care if people liked him or not. To Hinata the gesture seemed lonely and maybe he cared just a little.

"Well, I think you are nice," she told him with the same combination of wisdom and innocence in her eyes that had disarmed him from the moment he met her.

A faint smile tugged at his lips at the ire her heard in her voice, "I am glad you think so."

"I do," Hinata said a little evasively as she looked at him with searching eyes and debated whether to tell him about her father and her concerns that he shared traits with him. After spending the day with Itachi and getting to know him better had quieted some of her worries about his personality, but within her mind a small shadow of doubt about him still remained.

She decided now wasn't a good time to talk to him about it, she hid an unexpectedly welcome yawn behind her hand and turned away from him and pretended to be tired.

Itachi had not missed the wariness in her eyes as she studied him and the way she emotionally pulled back from him. Using his time wisely with her today, he had spent a lot of time observing her and plying her with seemingly innocuous questions as he tried to get inside her head and understand her fears. It was one of the reasons he wanted to play tennis earlier as he intended to find out what was behind her unusual lack of confidence in herself.

During the match, he had noticed in the beginning she would tense up like she was expecting to get yelled at by him after she missed a shot and look at him nervously. After a few comments from her about playing tennis with her father at their clubs, he figured out the arrogant bastard was overly critical with her and seemed to demand nothing less than perfection out of her.

He had met the man a few times over the years and had little trouble picturing him treating his daughter like that. The man obviously thought the Hyuuga name was only a little lower than God.

His mouth tightened in anger as he stared out the window, wishing he had the man in front of him so he could have a few words with him.

Feeling her tense up beside him, Itachi forced himself to calm down and was surprised at how sensitive she was to his moods. He deliberately made his voice casual when he spoke to her, "We are probably going to have a late night, so you might as well rest while you can."

Glad that the tension that had sprung up around them had dissipated, Hinata felt a glimmer of excitement build in her about their plans for the evening. Yet, at the same time she saw the obvious wisdom in his words.

"Good idea," Hinata said with another yawn as she leaned her head against the shoulder he offered to her to rest on before he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

As she rested against him so comfortably, he released a satisfied sigh before drifting off lightly to sleep.

* * *

Pulling into the parking garage at the Aria, Sasuke heard his phone ring and saw it was his mother. He debated internally whether or not to answer and realized she would just keep calling, and get all worried about him if he didn't pick up.

He sighed and saw Tenten was waking up from the small nap she took and touched the screen on his phone with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm, "Hello mom."

"Darling, how are you?" He heard his mother ask worriedly over the speaker.

"I'm fine mother; Itachi and I are taking care of the conference in Vegas."

"Oh good! So, you guys are spending time together – that's wonderful! I haven't seen your brother in so long! How is he dear, does he look okay to you? He hasn't been working too hard, has he?" With a pained expression on his face he pulled the phone away from his ear as she raced off an endless amount of questions.

"He's fine mom," Sasuke responded in a bored voice when he noticed a lull in her questioning of him and was tempted to put his brother on the phone and make him talk to her.

"What about you Sasuke, are you still dating all of those brainless, slutty girls? You know, you are going to catch something nasty one of these days if you don't knock it off. I warned your father not to let you be all alone in LA, with the crazy Hollywood nightlife there, but no-oo he doesn't listen to me…"

"There is someone I want you to talk to, hold on mom," he interrupted her as he handed Tenten the phone, thinking he would get his mother off of his back if she thought he was seeing someone nice.

Tenten still felt drowsy from her nap and tried to refuse, but when he wouldn't take the phone back she shrugged her shoulders with a small smile. Answering the phone in formal Japanese, she was very respectful and was met with stunned silence on the other end of the line.

"…Well, I must say you are a surprise, you seem different than the usual brainless sluts my younger son usually surrounds himself with..." Sasuke's mom, Mikoto, finally said and Tenten could hear the smile in her voice.

"Yes ma'am, I believe I am," she replied in the sweetest most polite voice ever, "I just thought since I have you on the phone, I should tell you about what kind of son you have raised," her voice began to darken ominously making Sasuke look over at her in alarm.

Swearing under his breath, Sasuke tried to take the phone from her but she moved it to the other ear with a grin and spoke quickly into the phone, "He is an arrogant jerk and disrespectful as hell! From the moment I met him, he has been staring at my chest… and it is annoying the crap out of me. But other than that he is alright, I guess."

"PUT MY SON BACK ON THE PHONE NOW!" Mikoto demanded irately.

With a saccharin sweet smile Tenten handed him the phone, "Your mom wants to talk to you," she told him unnecessarily with a laugh.

As he took the phone from her, he chuckled sarcastically and glared at her, before answering it in a mock-defiant voice, "What?"

"Sasuke! I - LOVE - HER! She reminds me of well…me," his mother gushed and then threatened into the phone, "You had better not screw things up with her!"

Sasuke's lip quirked as he turned to Tenten whose mirth was quickly dissolving into shock as she could hear what his mother was saying.

"I knew you would like her," he told his mother as his eyes roamed over Tenten's body with deliberately provocative slowness, making her want to slap him.

"I do Sasuke, but I think she is probably too good for you, so you had better straighten up and stop staring at her boobs, you hear me!" Mikoto yelled in the phone. "I raised you and your brother to behave like gentlemen!"

"Okay mother, I will behave myself, I have to go, we are having dinner at the Aureole," he told her in a toneless voice and glanced up and saw Tenten was smirking at him.

"Ooh, I love that place, it's the one with the swans and the servers dressed like angels that rappel on vines to get bottles of wine down, right?"

At her painfully accurate description of the place, Sasuke sighed, "Yes mom."

"Ouch, that place is pricey. Let me guess, Itachi's paying for it?" His mother concluded in a deadpan and amused voice knowing how much he hated to spend money.

"No, I am…" her son replied glumly.

Mikoto giggled, "What did you do - finally beat your brother at something?"

"Yes, Tenten and I beat him and Hinata in tennis?" Sasuke told her with a smug look as he glanced over at his brother who was helping Hinata out of the car.

"Hinata?" Mikoto asked with great interest as her mother-radar picked up the name that sounded slightly familiar. "Is she nice or is she one of those amoral, bitchy models he usually goes out with?"

Not even wanting to go there and he knew his brother would not want to either, he decided to end the conversation with her now and suffer the consequences later.

"I have dinner reservations to go to now, I will call you later," he said before hanging up. Glaring, he pointed his cell phone at his older brother like a weapon, "You owe me Itachi, if she flies out here to check on us, you're dealing with her."

Tenten hid a laugh behind her hand when she heard his phone vibrate as his mother tried to call him back, "I like her already, you guys are afraid of her so she must be incredible."

"Tch, I can think of a few other words to describe her," he muttered darkly, not even bothering to deny both he and his brother had a healthy respect for their mother. She had proven over the years that she was a good and caring parent, but was also a master at all forms of manipulation and intimidation – even their hard-ass father didn't mess with her.

Hinata watched their exchange with interest as she had seen their mother a few times at social events, but never had the chance to speak to her. The next time she saw her, she decided to make sure she got a chance to talk to her.

"I will call her later," Itachi promised before glancing at his watch, he saw they had twenty minutes to get there. Sasuke pushed the button to lock the car and handed his brother the keys, after all it was his rental.

The brothers decided to walk the rest of the way as neither one of them wanted to drive anymore tonight. That way if they drank too much, they could always call Sai to come get them.

Without even thinking about it, Hinata slipped her hand in his when he reached for it. Itachi automatically pulled her closer to him as he led her out of the parking garage…

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the late post on this story. My life has been crazy busy and I had this chapter mostly written for a while but I just couldn't finish it for some reason. The tennis part was a small tribute on my part to the US Open that took place in September (I am a huge fan of tennis and have played for most of my life.)

I have decided to make this story a little longer (probably about 10 chapters or so, I am in no hurry to end it) and have some plot twists coming up. So, thanks so much for all of your support, I really have been struggling lately.

Special thanks to Narya Vilya, Catriana and Lady Crack for always being there for me. You guys are awesome!

As always, constructive feedback would be most appreciated…

Edited: 4/13/12


	7. Chapter 7

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**~Chapter 7~**

* * *

Lounging indolently in his chair and watching her laugh under the intimate lighting, Itachi couldn't remember a dinner he had enjoyed more. He knew it wasn't because of the excellent dinner they had just finished, or the fact that a huge and insanely sweet dessert platter he had ordered was soon to be placed before him to enjoy.

Gratifying as those things undoubtedly were to him, it was simply because she had finally begun to relax around him, and was becoming once again the funny and enchanting young woman he had met last night. The awed and artless expression on her face when she had first beheld the giant wine tower in the center of the modernly elegant restaurant still made him smile inwardly to himself.

Her innocent reactions to things and places he often took for granted and had seen many times before made him realize that he was possibly even more jaded and disillusioned with life than he had thought he was.

He also found himself rather indebted to Tenten who was not only a very poor chaperone as she had allowed him to sit in the backseat of the car with Hinata on the way back into town, but a good friend to her as well. Seeing that her shy friend was content to be part of the group and just listen to others talk, Itachi silently applauded how skillfully she forced Hinata to join in their conversation by bringing up stories of their shared past, making it impossible for her friend to sit back and remain quiet.

Yet she did it so subtly that even his mother would have been impressed.

Effortlessly catching Tenten's eye, he raised his wine glass to her in silent appreciation of her efforts and watched as she responded back to him with a small, knowing smile and a slight nod of her head accepting his gratitude.

By the time they were on their third glass of wine and the dinner course was completed, Itachi noticed, Hinata had relaxed so much that she was even joining into the conversation and sharing things on her own without someone asking her a question first.

She even went as far as to gently tease Tenten by retelling how her friend almost got both of them arrested while they were at the airport in Tokyo because she had forgotten to remove one of the knives she always kept hidden on her.

"It was scary and we almost missed our flight here, because the police were called in and we were detained forever while they examined all of our suitcases and interrogated us about the people we knew," Hinata explained as she relived that nightmarish event a few days ago. She looked over at Tenten and was relieved that Tenten could now smile about it, but at the time it was a frightening thing to have happen and not funny at all.

They shared a look of surviving something really scary and Tenten looked a bit ashamed, for putting Hinata through something so awful.

"It was all my fault and by far the dumbest thing I have ever done," Tenten admitted with an embarrassed groan. "I had removed a few of the knives I usually carry on me before we left for the airport. But, I was in such a hurry to leave I (sigh) forgot about the one I keep hidden in my shoe, and when I tried to go through the x-ray screening area, one of the security agents found it, and treated me like I was a terrorist or something."

"It was pretty awful," Hinata commiserated and stifled a shudder before giving her friend a sympathetic look.

"I know," Tenten agreed with a self-disgusted and mortified shake of her head. After releasing a deep pent up breath, a relieved smile formed on her face as she told them the rest of the story, "I am just glad Neji showed up and was able to save our asses by showing I was part of Hinata's security team and had documents signed by the Japanese Government proving I was allowed to carry weapons. He even had a locked case that they allowed him put my knife in so they didn't confiscate it."

Hinata was enormously grateful to her cousin for rescuing them, and for all he did for her on a daily basis, but even so a shadow crossed her face as she thought of how he had tried to contact her at least a dozen times today. Her relationship with her cousin could be complicated at times.

"Neji is um… very thorough and conscientious in performing his duties," Hinata added with a sad little smile as she couldn't deny that her cousin most of the time looked after her and Tenten with the intense dedication of a religious zealot. Her eyes drifted over towards Itachi and when she saw he was watching her closely she quickly concealed her emotions and asked Tenten almost randomly, "Didn't you say your father gave you that knife for your birthday one year?"

Tenten looked at her friend and nodded catching on quickly about her friend's concerns about her cousin, "Uh huh, it was for my fifteenth birthday, it used to belong to my grandfather – I would have been devastated if something happened to it."

As Sasuke listened to the girls talk, he found himself becoming a little uneasy about Tenten's odd relationship with Hinata's cousin, Neji. She had mentioned him a few times throughout the day and he could sense that while she didn't seem to like him all that much, she did appear to respect and admire him.

_She sure as hell doesn't respect or admire me;_ he admitted to himself wryly and knew he had done little to try to impress her. In fact, since he had met her he had almost been trying to repulse and annoy her and he had no fucking idea why. He had never acted this way toward anyone else in his whole life.

Smirking slightly as some inner demon spurred him on, he leaned closer to her and whispered suggestively, "I will show you my weapons, if you show me yours."

Tenten shot him a tightlipped, unimpressed look that made him feel like the jackass he was acting. Her eyes clearly told him to grow up.

_Damn it,_ he swore to himself as he sat back up in his chair and a frown crossed his face as he stared off moodily into the distance, and wondered when this dinner from hell was going to end, so he could just leave.

"Fine, I will show it to you," Tenten said unexpectedly with a huff as she slipped her small, but deadly concealed blade on the table, unable to stop herself from being curious as to what kind of weapon he carried on him. She looked over at him with a spark of a dare in her eyes.

Reluctantly feeling more than a little turned on by her, Sasuke felt a band of sweat break out over his forehead before he answered the dare in her eyes and placed a small knife on the table. The weapon had once belonged to his dead Uncle Madara and was very rare, and valuable.

Tenten picked it up and handled the razor sharp knife almost reverently as she ran her fingers tenderly over it. "Oh Sasuke, it is marvelous, it looks like it is at least a hundred years old."

"It is a hundred and ten years old to be exact," Sasuke told her as she handed it back to him with an impressed look on her face.

"Hmm, I thought so, because of the intricate edgings on it, those kinds of details were common on weapons around that time period," she explained with a raw undercurrent of excitement in her voice as she picked up her own knife and deftly slipped it into a small pocket under her bra-strap.

"I have carried it around with me ever since I was in grade-school," Sasuke admitted to her as they stared at each other.

Fascinated that Sasuke and Tenten seemed to have forgotten their existence, Hinata reminded them with a grin that she and Itachi were still there as she spoke to Sasuke lightly, "Tenten's family owns a small weapons shop just outside of Tokyo."

Sasuke looked at Tenten with interest and was going to ask her more about it, but was interrupted by their snooty faux French waiter (they found he was fake when Itachi spoke French to him and he didn't understand a word of it) who set an enormous platter of desserts in the center of the table. His eyes immediately shot over to Itachi before rolling them skyward as he thought about the ridiculous sweet tooth his brother had as long as he could remember.

He could also remember a time when he was little he used to like sweets too, but that was before him and Itachi had eaten too many of them at a fancy banquet one time, and he had ended up throwing up on the lap of the American Ambassador to Japan.

That incident, and his father's wrathful retribution cured him of ever wanting to eat sugary stuff ever again…

Hinata's breath sucked in and her eyes lit up in surprise when she saw all of the desserts in front of them because she had not been aware that he had even ordered them. Besides, seeing them, reminded her of all of the tantalizing desserts she had shared with him at the Bellagio last night. Lifting her delighted eyes from the dessert platter to Itachi's face she saw he was watching her reaction closely to see if she remembered.

Grinning at him with a teasing light in her eyes they stared at each other for a few moments before she softly mimicked his words from last night, "Please help yourself Itachi, while I could actually eat all of it…I'd much rather not."

"I'd like to see you try," Itachi said calling her bluff and gave her a small smile that made her insides melt before he unceremoniously began loading up his plate.

"Okay, I may have exaggerated a bit," she laughed with a small blush and picked up one of the serving spatulas from off of the platter and began happily filling her plate.

Worried that there wasn't going to be anything left over after Itachi and Hinata were done, Tenten protested, "Hey, you guys, save me that piece of carrot cake and one of those chocolate éclairs."

With a somewhat rueful chuckle, Hinata slid the platter toward Tenten with an apologetic smile gracing her face. "Itachi and I really like sweets," she told her friend unnecessarily.

"Uh yeah, I can tell," Tenten replied with a small roll of her eyes.

Beginning to become restless, Sasuke refilled his glass with some of the dessert wine the sommelier had recommended to them and grimaced as it sucked and was way too sweet for his pallet. In the chair next to his, Tenten took a huge bite of her carrot cake, and almost moaned with delight at how amazing it tasted.

"Tch, how all of you can eat that sugary crap is beyond me," he muttered as he picked up one of the dinner rolls left over from dinner and began chewing on it.

"Seriously Uchiha, how could you not like this?" Tenten asked him skeptically as she offered a bite of her decadently moist and rich carrot cake to him. "It is sooo delicious."

"No thanks," Sasuke declined with a shudder and took long swig out of one of the bottles of wine instead.

Sharing a glance with Hinata and Itachi who all agreed that his abhorrence of sweets was just plain un-natural, Tenten popped the bite of cake in her mouth and savored the taste of it as she grinned at him.

Itachi was about to share with them Sasuke's childhood incident with the American Ambassador, but a warning glare from his brother stopped him. Complying with his brother's wishes, Itachi shrugged and took another bite of one of his desserts.

* * *

"This place is really wonderful… t-thank you for bringing me here," Hinata told him hesitantly as she leaned over the wrought-iron railing and watched the swans dip their elegant heads down as they drifted lazily over the pond. They had decided to look at the swans one more time while Sasuke paid the bill.

"You're welcome, it is one of my mother's favorite restaurants as well," he explained before glancing at his watch. In his pocket he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket.

He wasn't surprised when he glanced at the screen and saw it was his mother, again. Since he obviously did not feel like being interrogated by her as she sought out information about Hinata from him he decided to ignore her for the moment, and put it back in his pocket.

With eyes full of concern, Hinata asked, "Do you need to answer that? I-I don't mind if you do."

"No, it is my mother, I will call her later."

"Um okay… you know, I have seen her before, but I never got a chance to actually meet her. I hope I get to sometime, she is very beautiful and seems pretty nice – she even smiled at me once," Hinata shared politely with him in a soft voice before her attention was caught by a couple of wild ducks that had landed in the pond near the swans.

Itachi was unsurprised that she had seen his mother around Tokyo as their families probably attended a lot of the same events, but it amused him that she thought his mother seemed nice.

He could think of a lot of other ways to describe her and _nice_ wasn't one of them. It was like calling a hurricane nice; the bland description just didn't fit someone as vibrant and domineering as his mother.

As Itachi allowed his gaze to wander over Hinata as she watched the swans swim around the pond he couldn't help but ponder how someone as troubled as she obviously was in her relations with her family, mostly her father, could be so optimistic and trusting in the way she viewed the people around her. Since he had met her he noticed she never had an unkind word to say about anyone, and seemed to always think well of others until perhaps they proved her wrong – her way of thinking was completely illogical and foreign to him.

In a lot of ways, he knew he was the exact opposite of her and once he made up his against someone that person was as good as dead to him. Having had his faith in people burnt out of him at a very young age he simply didn't allow people to get close enough to him to actually be able to betray him.

Practically from the moment he met her he recognized there was something rare and fine in her that was nearly irresistible to him. Sometimes he felt almost afraid to look away from her, thinking that she was too amazing to be real.

Hinata turned toward him and blushed when she realized he was still staring at her and had been for several minutes. Her eyes searched his and her heart turned over at the loneliness she saw within them.

Itachi stepped away from her and asked her in a polite voice, "Are you ready to go now?"

"Yes," she replied quietly and couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking as he stared at her for so long. She could feel his eyes on her as she watched the swans and it unnerved her a little. Not for the first time since she met him, she found herself at a loss at how to understand someone as brilliantly complicated as him.

But, something deep within her longed to try, because even though she still had no idea what he saw in her or even wanted of her. She knew there was something very special about him and would probably spend the rest of her life regretting it if she didn't take a chance with him.

With that resolution firm in her mind, she looked over at him and kept her voice determinedly light, "So, where do you want to go next?"

Itachi had been watching her and could almost see her brain at work; almost instinctively he could feel some of the defensive walls she had around her were coming down.

"You'll see," was all Itachi would tell her before his lips covered hers in a warm, sweet kiss that was over before she even knew it.

Almost in a daze Hinata felt him take her hand and begin leading her back into the restaurant toward the front entrance.

They met up with Sasuke and Tenten as they were sitting on a bench outside of the restaurant waiting for them.

"I bought tickets for all of us to see KA' (Cirque Du Soleil) at the MGM," he announced impassively and his eyes watched Hinata closely to see her reaction.

Tenten and Hinata's eyes lit up happily as that was one of the shows they both had wanted to see while they were in Vegas. They grinned at each other with barely contained excitement.

Sasuke groaned inwardly as he hated shows like that, they were one big waste of valuable time in his opinion. He glared darkly at his control freak of a brother, who should have asked them first before arbitrarily making a decision like that on his own.

After giving his younger brother a cool glance, Itachi shifted his eyes meaningfully toward Hinata and Tenten who were obviously thrilled about going and were talking animatedly to each other about the show and what they had heard about it.

Sasuke looked away and it galled him to have to admit that his older brother was a hell of lot smarter about women than he was. He took a deep breath and resigned himself to spending the next two hours watching mindless, artistic dribble on the stage.

His mood began to improve a great deal when Tenten slipped her arm around his waist comfortably, and they began following Itachi and Hinata towards the MGM Hotel.

* * *

Looking over their date's heads as they watched the show, Sasuke and Itachi shared a look of mutual suffering as they couldn't wait for the ordeal to be over. Sitting behind Sasuke was young three year old boy that kept kicking the back of his seat and even though he glared back at the parents several times they did nothing about it.

In his seat next to Hinata, Itachi didn't fare much better as behind him was a couple with a crying baby that should have had the decency to remove themselves, but they just kept letting the kid cry and the sound was right in his ear. He was relieved when one of the attendants finally came over and politely asked the parents to take the kid to the crying room they had set aside for that purpose in the alcove.

Now that he didn't have a kid screaming in his ear he considered checking his email on his cell phone, but he was not sure how Hinata would react so he put it away. After a few minutes of trying to watch the show he consulted his watch again, and mentally groaned when he saw there was still at least a half an hour left.

With a small sigh, he sat up in his seat and attempted to watch what was left of the show. Ten minutes later he ended up dozing off.

From the moment the lights went down and the amazing show began, Tenten and Hinata were enraptured by the stunning scenery and haunting music of the Chinese Opera, and the incredible display of Wushu Martial Arts.

Soon they were both sucked into the gripping tale of a kingdom under attack and the beautiful love story of the Chief Archer's daughter and the Twin Brother…

When it was over Hinata glanced over next to her, and realized she had been so involved in watching the show she had forgotten about Itachi. An almost maternal smile softened her face when she saw he had fallen asleep.

She gently nudged him with her elbow and grinned when she saw his eyes flutter open.

"Is it over yet?" Itachi asked her in a sleepy voice before he yawned and sat up.

"Yes," she responded and guessed, "You really don't enjoy things like this do you?"

He gave her an apologetic look, "No, not really," he answered honestly.

Her heart turned over at how thoughtful he was for bringing her here. "Thank you, I adored it," she told him gratefully as she placed her hand over his.

"I am glad you liked it," he replied with a warm look in his eyes that reminded her of the way he looked at her last night.

To cover up the fluttery feeling in her stomach she said sincerely, "I…am sorry if you were bored."

"I didn't mind," Itachi insisted as he stood up in his seat and offered a hand to her.

Hinata's eyes searched his for a moment before she saw he meant it and she smiled at him and took his hand. They began to follow Tenten and Sasuke out of the theater.

* * *

Hinata's eyes widened happily and flew toward Itachi when she saw where he was taking her.

_The Tabu Lounge._

The warm look and the smile he gave her and the music pulsing in the background made her feel vibrantly alive. Stepping through the doorway Hinata couldn't help but remember last night.

The place and the exciting atmosphere was almost the same, but tonight felt different when she stepped inside.

Because she wasn't alone, she was with him.

Itachi pulled her down on one of the couches beside him and as Hinata could feel herself sinking down in it her throat began to become dry. She nervously settled her dress over her legs and a blush crept up her cheeks when she saw the couple across from them was making out.

Beginning to feel a little uncomfortable now she began to regret not going with Tenten and Sasuke as they went to play poker and gamble. Her breath caught in her throat when Itachi intimately tangled his hand with hers.

Beside her, Itachi glanced over at her and gave her a reassuring look promising her that he would behave.

Knowing instinctively he would keep his word, Hinata felt herself begin to relax and just tried to enjoy herself.

Glancing up, she saw the same blonde waiter from last night come up to them and he grinned when he recognized her.

"Do you want the same thing you had last night?" The waiter asked her.

Hinata blushed because the name of the drink was so ridiculous she was super grateful she didn't have to say it out loud. "Yes please," she told him politely.

"One Sensual Peach Pleasure for the lady," The waiter remembered and then turned to Itachi, "And for you?"

"I will have the same," he said and after the waiter left to get their drinks he turned to Hinata and grinned when he saw she was trying not to laugh.

"What is so funny?"

She began to giggle and looked at him with laughing, apologetic eyes, "I'm sorry, it's just…the name of the drink…it's so silly."

Itachi nodded with a wry grin as he agreed with her.

Hinata smiled back at him and their gazes held for a moment, her breath caught in her throat when she saw him lean in closer to her and then he seemed to check himself and pull back.

Turning away nervously from him, she released a nervous breath. They sat there for a few moments in silence as Hinata could feel the subtle intimate shift beginning in their relationship and felt almost helpless to stop it.

She knew all it would take was one word from her and they would remain friends…but she knew it wasn't friendship she felt for him.

A few minutes later Hinata turned toward him when she felt his eyes on her and looked at him. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat she stared at him and felt elated and frightened about what was happening between them at the same time. As she watched him slowly reach over and curve his hands around her face, time seemed to stand still for her when he began to lower his face towards hers.

Breathing out softly, her eyes closed and her heart began to race wildly in anticipation just before he leaned his forehead against hers and asked her, "Come dance with me?"

Surprised that he didn't kiss her like she had thought he was going to do, her eyes flew open and a flustered smile touched her lips when she noticed the music tempo had slowed down and couples were standing up all around the room and beginning to sway intimately together as they danced to the music.

Glancing up at him as she took his hand she saw his expression was carefully neutral as if nothing was happening between them. Hinata released a relieved breath and was so grateful for his patience with her as she followed him to a dimly lit corner of the lounge.

Itachi slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. He wasn't sure if dancing with her was such a great idea considering he had been inches away from kissing her at least twice in the last ten minutes.

He didn't want to rush her into a relationship with him, but it was getting increasingly difficult to keep his distance from her.

"Itachi?" he heard her say to him as she looked up at him with an unusually solemn look in her eyes as if she had come to a decision.

Equal parts joy and relief flooded through him as his eyes moved over her face and saw the subtle invitation in the slight tilt of her head and parted lips.

"Hinata are you sure?" he asked as he dipped his head toward hers and his eyes searched hers cautiously.

A soft smile tugged at her mouth as she looked up at him, "Yes."

An intense light flashed in his eyes as he shifted his hands on the curve of her waist and pulled her against him and lowered his lips onto hers...

**Author's Note:** My time is horribly limited and I wanted to get a chapter out to all of you. Thanks so much to Fanofthisfiction for leaving me reviews on every chapter, your thoughts and kind words helped motivate me to get this chapter done. Sorry if there are a lot of errors, I was in a hurry to post this so please forgive me in advance. Hugs to Narya Vilya, Winterkaguya, Lady Crack and Catriana, thanks you guys for all of the PM's and emails!

**Manga Spoiler Alert:** (Naruto Ch. 512) Wow, a lot is going on in this chapter! Kabuto and Madara and what was with all of those clones of Zetsu (I think anyway, not sure)? Things are heating up and getting exciting!


	8. Chapter 8

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**~Chapter 8~**

* * *

_AN: This is sort of a filler, because I kind of left out what Sasuke and Tenten did while they were out in the last chapter…hugs…_

Sasuke threw down his cards with a snap and watched as the dealer pushed a huge stack of poker chips in front of her. The rest of the table groaned as they watched her win again.

"Yes!" She giggled and clapped her hands, and then began stacking her chips orderly by color in front of her.

"I thought you said you never played before," he complained as he leaned closer to her.

A guilty look flashed over her face before she laughed, "I have never played for real at a table, but I play online all the time."

_Damn it_, Sasuke thought as he looked at his small stack of chips, he might as well just hand them over to her at the rate she was winning.

She had completely gulled him and made him think that she was a beginner at playing poker when all along she had the cutthroat instincts of a shark. With her sharp mind and card playing skills she could join the pro poker circuit if she wanted to.

He watched as she mentally calculated her chips and saw she had a frugal side to her as well. She was not afraid to take risks but he could tell she was not foolish about it.

"I'm done," she decided as she began to gather her chips, she smiled when the dealer handed a bucket to her so she could carry all of them easier.

"Thanks for all of your help," she told the dealer as she handed him a fifty dollar tip.

Sasuke picked up his pathetic pile of chips and handed the dealer a fifty dollar bill as well and followed her over to the cashier cage. On the way there he called Sai and told him to come pick them up at the front of the hotel...

* * *

Sitting alone in the backseat, Sasuke watched Tenten count her money in front of the limo with Sai as he flirted his ass off with her. Sasuke could feel his blood pressure begin to rise with every laugh that came out of her mouth and Sai kept finding reasons to touch her.

_Bastard._

"So Tenten, it looks like you kicked Sasuke's ass in Poker," Sai said with laughing eyes as he took a shot at his best friend.

"Uh, you could say that," Tenten bragged as she flashed a huge wad of cash in front of him and pulled out the five hundred Sasuke loaned her and handed it nonchalantly to him in the back seat.

"Thanks for the loan," she told him with a smug grin as her eyes danced with a teasing light before she turned around sat back down in her seat.

"You're welcome," he snapped, he was still a little annoyed at her for not joining him in the back seat. When they came outside and she saw the limo she had adamantly refused to sit near him.

Sai glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye and raised his eyebrows slightly at Tenten. He had never seen Sasuke act like this around any of the girls they usually hung around. Sasuke was acting strangely possessive with this one. He decided then and there to get to know her a little better.

"You're here for the conference right?" Sai asked her in a conversational tone of voice.

"Yes, we leave to go back to Tokyo on Friday."

Sai shot her an interested look as he scanned her long legs slowly. "Well then, we need to make sure you have a good time while you are here."

Feeling a nice buzz from all of the alcohol she imbibed throughout the evening she decided to not rip him up for checking her out, besides she thought he was very funny in a non threatening way. Her eyes glanced toward Sasuke in the back as the thought went through her, _unlike some people._

"I am having a great time so far," she responded with a grin.

"Sai, drive us to the Tao," Sasuke ordered from the back seat.

His driver/friend turned around and gave him a look telling him he didn't think that was a good idea to take her to a place like that. Considering how well known they both were there, especially with the ladies.

Deep down Sasuke knew Sai was right but he had already screwed up with Tenten several times already tonight, he decided he might as well just go for broke and really fuck things up. Maybe then, whatever was going on between them would end before they even start. His glare told Sai to do what he was told.

Sai shrugged and started up the limo.

* * *

Walking between Sasuke and Sai, Tenten was a little dismayed when she saw the long line of people waiting to enter the posh night club. Coming through the ornate doors they could hear loud pulsating music blaring and people laughing and having a good time.

Sai saw her face and leaned toward her with a grin, "This is one of the perks of the job."

Tenten watched curiously as Sasuke led them to the front of the line and was immediately given entrance into the club as he handed the man his credit card. The guy typed his name into a computer and found he was indeed on the VIP list.

"Hey Sasuke," one of the bouncer's said as he touched fists with him before greeting Sai. "Dude, where's that sketch you promised me?"

Sai looked a little surprised for a moment because he didn't remember ever telling him he would do that for him. The last time they came here, him and Sasuke had gotten pretty drunk. He pulled out a sketch pad from under his shirt (he never left home without one) and turned to Sasuke and Tenten.

"I am going to draw something for them and I will meet you guys inside."

Sasuke just shrugged and took Tenten's hand and began leading her to a private VIP booth near the dance floor.

As she followed him she was pretty impressed with the place. She had heard of it of course, it seemed like someone famous was always hanging out here and she had read it in the news. Her eyes took in the enormous size of the place and trendy decor. She thought that it was interesting that Americans found Buddhist temple décor so fascinating when it was so commonplace in her country.

"Sasuke!" Two blondes surrounded Sasuke with high pitched squeals as they hugged and bounced all around him practically pushing her out of the way.

Without saying a word Tenten sat down in the booth and began perusing the drink menu. She wasn't happy when he sat down across from her flanked by the two blondes, but she wasn't surprised either.

By the way people greeted him here; she could tell he was a regular.

"Hey Sasuke, where's Itachi, I heard he was in town?" Tiffani asked (blonde number one).

_He's out with my friend ha,_ Tenten answered the girl acidly in her mind while she continued to stare at the menu in front of her.

"He went to the Tabu," Sasuke told her.

Tiffani and Erica on the other side him wore identical pouts, they both thought Itachi was a little nicer than Sasuke was.

The waiter came over and Tenten ordered a long island iced tea, she decided she was going to get very drunk tonight. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw one of the girls whispering in Sasuke's ear and saw a lazy grin flit over his face.

After about fifteen nauseating minutes of just sitting there listening to his vapid friends talk about their mutually stupid, slutface friends and never once even look at her or try to include her, she was beginning to get really bored and very annoyed. And with her, that was not a good combination, she could feel her temper brewing as she looked over at Sasuke and caught his eyes.

"Do you want to come dance with me?"

Dark eyes stared back at her like she was insane, "I don't dance."

On both sides of him Tiffani and Erica snickered at her ignorance. They had met him two years ago and they had never seen him dance, even once.

"Then why bother to even come here?" She asked him in Japanese so the idiot blondes wouldn't know what she was saying.

"To hang out," Sasuke replied with a look that told her it should be obvious what he was doing.

"What?" Tenten shot back still in Japanese, "With people like these two. I feel like I am losing brain cells just by being around them."

Sasuke had to grin realizing she did have a point; he had to admit that a lot of his friends were not the most intelligent people on the planet; they were mostly just hot looking. He took a long sip of his drink as he watched Tenten over the rim and began to wish the other two would get lost so he could be alone with her.

"I'll dance with you," Sai told her as he materialized out of nowhere and set his sketchpad down and reached for her hand. He knew this was going to piss Sasuke off royally but he couldn't resist doing it. He just hoped Sasuke didn't fire him for doing it.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he looked at his so called "friend," and then over at Tenten before he picked up his glass and took a long drink. He didn't care what they did because there was just no fucking way he was going out on that dance floor.

Tenten gave Sasuke one last look to gauge his reaction to her dancing with Sai and when she saw he was just staring at his drink and didn't seem to care, she stood up and silently followed Sai out onto the floor.

Once out there amongst the flashing lights and loud pulsing music, Sai placed his hand low around her waist and told her, "Let's really piss him off, just follow my lead."

Tenten's eyes flashed with annoyance and she shook her head. "Forget it, I don't care about him, he's a jackass."

Sai gave her a knowing look, and leaned in so his mouth just hovered near her ear, "Sure ya don't."

Her eyes glanced toward Sasuke and saw one of the blondes was kissing the side of his face. She felt like throwing something really sharp in that direction. For just a second his black eyes met hers before he jerked them away.

"Whatever," Tenten snapped and decided to just forget about him and enjoy herself, her body began to move as she gave herself up to the fast tempo of the music.

"Atta girl," Sai said with a grin as he cupped his hand behind her head and as he stared into her eyes his body began to press into her personal space as she gyrated her hips to the beat.

Her eyes opened wide at his blatant show of exhibitionism, his hand pulled her closer to him as his hips began to move with hers.

"Sai, what are you doing?" She asked as her voice broke a little.

Tenten had never danced with anyone like this in her life, but she found it was not only a little nasty it was oddly exhilarating. She tilted her head back slightly as Sai leaned in and told her over the music, "Just go along with me, he's coming over."

"Sai, I don't care what he does, I am done with him after tonight," she replied offhandedly before her eyes snapped contradictorily toward the now empty table.

Turning her head in the other direction she almost stopped dancing when she saw him occupy the space next to them.

Sasuke was on the floor with not just one girl, but he had both blondes with him, and Tenten and Sai's jaws dropped when they saw him begin to dance. Several eyes were glued in his direction as he began to put the dirty in dancing.

"That bastard! I didn't even know he knew how to dance?" Sai complained out loud with a grin as he shook his hand in front of him cooling himself off exaggeratedly as he watched the blondes swivel and pulse their asses and hips around his friend, "Damn that's hot, I wouldn't mind changing places with him."

Tenten found her temper as well as her pulse began to race as she watched as one girl slid her hands up the back of Sasuke's shirt while he bent the girl in front of him backwards and slid his mouth over the columns of her throat.

While his lips moved over the blonde's throat, Sasuke turned his face and stared directly into Tenten's eyes.

As though mesmerized, her eyes stared back into his, not breaking contact with them once as she continued to dance with Sai, the air between them began to get charged with heat.

Flustered, Tenten felt her hips unconsciously began to rotate as she watched Sasuke's hand drift over the front of the blonde girl slowly as she pressed up against him while he leaned back against the other blonde tipping her back and pressing the back of his head against her chest.

Sai and Tenten both began to break out in a sweat as they watched the three of them dance with tantric movements.

Sasuke's dark eyes locked back onto hers intimately and held them as his hips began to thrust forward.

_Damn him_, Tenten thought knowing he was just trying to get back at her. The small smirk on his face confirmed it as he spun one of the girls around with his hand around her waist as his other hand pulled up the edge of her dress bunching it in his hand.

A small moan slipped out of Tenten's lips as she watched Sasuke's amused eyes slide over her flushed skin and travel over her body as his hand slid down the bare leg of the blonde in front of him.

Sai sucked in his breath next to her, breaking the spell she was under and she snapped her head away from Sasuke. She was not amused by his crude little display, nor was she happy with her body's reaction to it. She was so freaking aroused she was practically ready to burst into flames.

Uhg, she groaned mentally feeling like a pervert as she had watched him practically feel up another girl.

Her eyes were determined and a little pissed as she looked at Sai, who was beginning to sweat and look longingly at the two blondes Sasuke had surrounding him. She put her hands around his face and made him look at her and not at the blondes.

"Sai, let's show that bastard how it's done."

His eyes opened up and he grinned at her, starting to see what Sasuke saw in her, not only was she smart and amazingly attractive she had a personality that was challenging as hell.

She backed away from him while she swayed her hips and crooked her arm and hand in front of her in a come-hither fashion as her eyes flirted with him.

Sai's arms closed in around her waist as she lifted up her arms and spun around so she was facing Sasuke and his blonde idiots.

Sasuke's eyes grew hot as he watched her throw her head back as she swayed her hips as Sai held onto her waist.

Her eyes closed as her hips and shoulders began to swivel sensuously, she felt a rush of cold air as Sai moved away from her and her eyes opened wide when she felt hard fingers clamp around her shoulders.

"I've seen enough," Sasuke snapped, his glittering black eyes were just inches away from hers.

"So have I," she shot back, disgusted at herself and at him for acting like that. Something about him seemed to bring out the absolute worst in her.

"I'm an ass," Sasuke said as he pulled her closer and his eyes looked into hers. Around them the tempo of the music changed to something slow and romantic.

A ragged breath escaped her, "I thought you said you couldn't dance," she accused him as she glared back at him.

He shook his head slightly and grimaced a little, "I didn't say I couldn't, I just said I don't dance."

Her eyes were skeptical as she reluctantly grinned, even though she was still a little pissed at him. "Where the hell did you learn to dance like that?"

A slow smile tugged at his lips as his body began to sway slowly with hers and he shrugged, "Hell if I know, probably from coming here for so long."

He looked away from her and was not about to admit that he had been insanely jealous and the sight of her dancing with Sai like that set him off and made him want to give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Damn, that was hot," she admitted with a shaky laugh as her eyes teased him.

"Hn, you should talk," he muttered before leaning his face closer to hers and nuzzling her ear, she could feel his breath stirring her hair. "You have been driving me insane since the moment I met you."

A small smile formed on her face as her forehead leaned against his, "I know. We seem to bring out the worst in each other."

"You're right," Sasuke told her as he pulled her closer to him and slid his hand down her back. "What do you think we should do about it?"

Her breath caught in back of her throat as one of his hands caressed the bare skin on her back, "I think we probably shouldn't see each other anymore."

"I disagree; we should see more of each other."

Confused by his logic, Tenten pulled out of his arms and stared at him, "What would that accomplish? One of us could end up dead considering all of the weapons we have on us."

Something between a cough and a laugh came out of his mouth and it made her smile helplessly back at him. His dark eyes were amused as he looked down at her.

They continued to stare at each other while people all around them began to leave the dance floor as the music changed again to something fast.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her suddenly.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked a little warily as she was beginning to feel the urge to put the brakes on whatever was happening between them.

He glanced over at Sai and saw he was busy drawing nude pictures of the blonde idiots as they fawned and giggled all around him.

Sasuke didn't want to go near those two again, he felt like he needed a bath already.

Tenten glanced over at Sai as well and looked at Sasuke with a hint of longing in her eyes, "Do you know what I am really in the mood for?"

"What?" he asked a little uneasily, he didn't think he could sit through another show tonight or anymore dancing.

"Let's go get some breakfast. I am starving."

The hairs stood up on the back of his neck as he looked at her. He often went out for breakfast after a night of partying and most people he hung out with thought he was strange because of it.

He hid his surprise behind his usual impassive mask. "Come on, I know just the place."

She leaned down and took off her sandals. "I think we should leave Sai here and just take a cab."

Sasuke glanced at Sai again who was clearly in his element with Tiffani and Erica hanging off his every word as if it was manna from heaven as he drew them.

"Good idea."

He had a cab take them to a little café off of the strip that was well known to locals because it was cheap and they served you huge omelets and plates full of toast. Best of all it was open twenty four hours a day.

With their stomachs full as they sipped orange juice, they began to talk about their childhoods and their current lives. It didn't take her long to see that Sasuke and Itachi's father was just as much of a manipulative bastard as Hinata's was. It made her realize just how wonderful her parents were. Compared to all of them, even though they grew up with tremendous wealth and privilege, she grew up in a house full of love.

"It must have been tough growing up with a brother like Itachi?" She said quietly as she looked at him with searching eyes. "He so freaking perfect, it is scary."

"Hn, tell me about it," Sasuke said with a frustrated look. He picked up a piece of toast and took a bite and chewed it slowly before his eyes met hers again. "I resented him for a long time, probably even hated him… but over time he kept reaching out to me and I started to see that in his own way he was looking out for me."

"He made you work hard and get stronger, didn't he?" Tenten asked perceptively.

"Yes, I have never beaten him at anything, until today when we beat him and Hinata at doubles," he admitted as a small grateful smile came over his face as he looked at her.

"Seriously, I was wondering why you reacted the way you did," she exclaimed and put her hand over his. "I am glad then that we beat them. I think we should give them a rematch though, the way we won was just so pathetic."

Sasuke shrugged, "Fine, I will try to work something out before we leave."

Tenten looked at him and wished they had more time before she had to go back home to Japan. Glancing over at the clock on the wall she was surprised to see it was already three a.m. The last two hours had flown by like nothing.

"We should probably get back to the hotel, it's getting late."

He yawned and began to pull out his wallet but Tenten beat him to it as she threw down a fifty dollar bill on the table.

"That was the best omelet I have ever had in my life," she told him as she glanced at the owner who beamed with pride at her compliment. Sasuke was one of his regulars and he always took special care of him whenever he stopped by.

"Sasuke, you should hold on to this one," the old man advised with a grin before waving bye to the young couple.

"Bye Max, it was nice meeting you," Tenten told him with a small respectful bow before stepping out the front door.

As they stepped up to the curb she rubbed her stomach and groaned, "I am so full." She could feel her eyes getting heavy.

Sasuke directed the cab driver to take them to the Aria. Ten minutes later they pulled up to the front of the hotel and saw that there were still tons of people gambling on slot machines.

"It seems like this town never slows down," she mused more to herself than anything. "I like coming here."

Sasuke agreed he didn't feel bored when he came here; there was always something to do, places to go to.

"So do I," he told her as they stepped onto the elevator and he pressed the button for their floor.

"I wonder if Hinata and your brother made it back yet?" Tenten asked him with a grin as she hoped they were behaving themselves; things could get ugly if Neji caught the two of them together.

"I'm sure Itachi brought her back long ago," Sasuke stated flatly, Itachi was past all of that wild partying stuff. His brother was actually getting to be kind of boring as he got older.

They walked down the hallway and stopped at her room and his eyes noted it was right next to his.

_How convenient_ a naughty voice in his head commented as he thought about the door that connected the rooms together.

She opened her door with her key and turned and looked at him with a hint of seriousness in her eyes. "I didn't like you at first, but you're not so bad once I got a chance to know you."

He rolled his eyes at her backhanded compliment, but he felt like he had made some progress with her even though he had made an ass of himself a few times tonight.

"Good night, Tenten," he said before he stepped inside of his room and when he went to close the door he was surprised to see she had followed him. He raised his eyebrows as he stared at her.

His eyes held hers steadily as she moved closer to him and held out her hand and clasped his in an odd but firm handshake. "Thank you Sasuke, I had fun tonight."

His eyes dropped in disappointment when he saw her turn around and begin to head back toward her room. In his pocket he felt his phone vibrate as he closed the door and was surprised to see it was from Tenten, he had thought for a moment it had been his mother calling him again.

He grinned when he read the text she had sent him. "Don't press your luck, Uchiha. I will see you in the morning."

Back in her room, Tenten sucked in her breath in outrage when she saw the photo he sent her. It was of her dancing with her head thrown back, she blushed when she saw it was sensuous as hell. If anyone saw her like that, her reputation as a serious business woman was screwed. Underneath it he typed, DAMN YOU'RE HOT_._

An evil grin formed on her face as she sent him a photo back showing him nibbling on one of the blonde's neck as he pressed his pelvis against her.

He glared at the phone, if she sent that to anyone, especially his mother he would never live it down. He looked at the text underneath it.

OKAY WE'RE EVEN, BESIDES I WILL GUT YOUR ASS IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT SENDING OR SHOWING THAT TO ANYONE.

FINE, he sent back and smirked as he put the phone down and stepped in the bathroom. He heard his phone begin to buzz and he thought it might be Tenten so he picked it up and groaned when he saw the text was from his mother.

I'M IN NEW YORK AND I DECIDED TO FLY OUT TO SEE BOTH OF YOU, I WILL SEND YOU MY FLIGHT INFO TOMORROW. LOVE, MOM…

**Author's Note:** Okay good thing this story is rated M. I really don't plan to make it any more graphic than what I did in this chapter. You can kind of blame this chapter on the video and song, "I Like It," by Enrique Iglesias, it made me think of SasuTen in this story and well my brain ran with it from there lol. Moving on to the conference and Itahina in the next chapter.

**Manga Spoiler:** Lots of interesting stuff going on, it was kind of cool how he made Gaara in charge of the Army. Pretty fitting considering his background as a jinchuuriki. (Let me see…) Naruto is still clueless but all of the Akatsuki members that Kabuto resurrected as well as dead characters such as Zazuba (sp?) and Haku were pretty cool. It just goes to show you that when you die in ninja world you're really not dead, you can always live on as long as there is Kabutomaru around…


	9. Chapter 9

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 9**

* * *

_Fanofthisfiction, this one is for you. I promise I will finish this story!_

* * *

[The morning after…]

Hinata had just turned off the shower and was drying off when she heard a knock on the door of her room.

A pained expression crossed her face as she knew who it probably was, because it was always him.

Hurrying and putting on a robe, Hinata breathed out a sigh and realized she was getting tired of him always checking up on her, and calling her. This trip and meeting Itachi made her realize that she was no longer a child and certainly didn't need anyone watching over her anymore.

She decided this morning she was going to put an end to all of that, and start standing up for herself more.

Taking a fortifying breath, Hinata opened the door and was prepared to give her cousin a piece of her mind or at least stand her ground and was pleasantly surprised when she saw it wasn't her cousin, but Itachi who had come to see her.

A slow blush began to cover her face and a soft glow entered her eyes as her eyes drifted over his face. For getting only two hours of sleep he looked pretty amazing.

"Good morning, I thought maybe we could have breakfast together before we have to attend the conference."

"Alright, I will meet you in twenty minutes…"

* * *

After breakfast, Hinata and Itachi left at different times so they wouldn't enter the conference meeting room at the same time. They wanted to keep their relationship hidden from the watchful eyes of the other attendees and out of the news for as long as possible.

As she slipped into her seat she released a slight breath when she noticed no one seemed to be watching her or whispering behind their hands about her. She sat down between Neji and Tenten.

Tenten was busy texting someone and smiling and gave her a distracted hello when she finally noticed her presence and greeted her.

One the other side of her, Neji was silent as a tomb and was obviously pissed at her for not even bothering to check in last night.

"Good morning, Nii-san, as you can see I am still alive and well," Hinata turned toward him and greeted him calmly.

For several moments he didn't speak at all and when he finally did, Hinata noticed he didn't even bother to look at her. "You could have at least called me last night," he reprimanded her coolly as he continued reading an email on his phone.

She began to feel a little guilty because she knew deep down he had been really worried about her, "I am sorry, but I don't think you will need to worry about me as long as I am with Itachi, he would never let anything happen to me."

_Damn it, he is a fast worker_, Neji muttered to himself irritably as he glared in the older Uchiha's direction. Just yesterday Hinata seemed nervous as hell around him…now her eyes were all sparkly when she spoke about him.

Still, Neji being the overly responsible person that he was had to remind her, "Your father put me in charge of your protection while you are here and I will do my duty. Don't tell me you have forgotten about the kidnapping attempts," he reminded her darkly.

Hinata repressed a slight shudder as she thought back to the nightmarish events of her childhood. She was only ten years old when one of the kidnappers almost succeeded dragging her into his car on her way home from school. And he would have probably gotten away with it, if it hadn't been for one of her teachers spotting her being abducted and immediately called the police.

Just the thought of that scary day, even after all these years, was still terrifying to her, yet she realized when she was with Itachi, he made her feel safe. Just knowing that gave her the peace of mind to smile patiently at her cousin, even though he was beginning to annoy her a little.

"Thank you Neji, but I promise you, I will be fine," she reassured him with a small smile and a gentle squeeze of his hand.

Neji reluctantly felt himself soften under her gaze and couldn't help notice the almost subtle air of confidence that was surrounding her. His eyes travelled over towards the source of her new found confidence and he was surprised to see a set of dark eyes watching Hinata. Their eyes met and for several moments the two men sized each other up. A movement caught his eyes and Neji noticed a dark haired man from a table nearby come over and place a folder in front of Itachi's assistant.

A frown marred his face when he recognized the man as one of the head financial officers at Gaara Corporation, one of Hiashi's largest rivals besides the Uchiha.

_Just what kind of game are you playing_, Uchiha? Neji's glare accused him from across the room.

_None of your business_, Itachi returned dismissively before returning his attention to his cell phone.

Fuming, Neji sat there while the speaker droned on about Global Economics and his mind mulled over all of the possible consequences of an alliance between Gaara Corporation and the Uchiha and none of them were good for HGI (Hyuuga Global Industries). If those two business competitors worked together they could severely undercut Hiashi-sama and put him out of business.

He heard a small giggle next to him and watched as Hinata texted something in her phone. This texting back and forth and giggling went on for several moments and it was beginning to make him feel slightly nauseous.

Unable to take it anymore he leaned toward her and whispered, "Meet me in the small conference room during the break; I need to discuss something important with you."

Hinata's smile became a frown after she met his serious eyes and nodded, "Okay."

A few minutes later the speaker announced a fifteen minute break and Hinata immediately followed her cousin into an empty conference room.

As soon as the door was shut behind them, her cousin rounded on her with flashing gray eyes, "If you have made plans with him, I want you to cancel them."

Hinata paled at the anger she heard in his voice. "Neji, we have been over this before…" she began softly in an attempt to mollify and reason with him.

"He cannot be trusted, Hinata!" Neji interrupted harshly. "I just saw someone from Gaara Corporation bring a folder to his table and give it to his assistant and you and I both know that can only mean one thing."

Hinata had been to enough business meetings and heard her father rant endlessly about the possibilities of a merger between the two, so she immediately knew what he was alluding to.

"Wait Nii-san, don't be hasty… that folder could be about anything. You really don't have any proof that they are planning a merger."

Neji stared at her for a long moment with a skeptical and somewhat disappointed look before shaking his head in disgust, "You are always so trusting. Don't you find his interest in you a little suspicious? Not to mention the timing of it?"

Taken aback at his words, Hinata felt her heart sink in her chest and the old insecurities and fears take root in her mind again. (After all, what could someone as great as him possibly see in someone like her.)

She only allowed those thoughts for a moment and could feel something new and powerful rise within her and even though she hadn't known him for long, she wanted to trust him. He didn't seem like someone who was a liar and deceitful.

Flashing in her mind also was the look of sincerity on his face after jumping in the lake with her and telling her he liked her. It wasn't a look that someone, even the most gifted actor could fake.

Hinata's eyes met his and lifted her chin and said in the most confident voice she could manage at the time, "I think you are reading more into this, but I will talk to him about it."

Neji looked at her and was surprised at how composed she was, it wasn't normal for her. Usually when he confronted her she would start apologizing and stammering and getting all upset.

"I will also look into the matter further, before I say anything to your father about it," he told her as she turned to leave.

"Thank you, Nii-san, I will see you later."

On the way out to the parking garage where they had arranged to meet, Hinata mind was so focused on her conversation with her cousin and on how she was going to ask Itachi about it that she didn't see him until she practically ran into him as he stood behind the car.

"Hinata?" Itachi asked while wrapping his arms around her and drawing her against his chest, almost like a father would while comforting his child. "Are you alright, you seem upset about something?"

"I'm fine," she said evasively in a quiet voice and decided to wait for a better time to bring this uncomfortable subject up. After all, there just was no way to ask someone politely if they were trying to deceive you and run your father out of business.

Itachi held her for a few more moments before releasing her and placing his hand under her chin he lifted her face so she would have to look at him. "I saw you go into a conference with your cousin; did he say something to upset you?" He pressed and began to frown when he saw the look of apprehension and anxiety lurking deep in her eyes.

His long fingers traced over the delicate line of her cheekbone as he spoke softly, "It's alright, you can ask me anything."

At seeing the concern in his eyes and hearing the gentleness in his voice, Hinata felt even more guilty and upset for even momentarily doubting him.

"I'm sorry, Itachi," she said with a long breath and pulled herself out of his arms and began to cover her face with her hands.

Itachi looked at her and seeing her guilt he had a pretty good idea what her cousin had said to her, but he wanted to hear it from her. So he waited for her to compose herself.

After a deep breath she finally faced him and looked him in the eyes before blurting quickly, "My cousin thinks you are only using me, and your company is planning to merge with the Gaara Corporation to destroy my father."

Hinata watched as a small flash of disappointment flashed over his eyes before his face became even more impassive than normal.

For a few tense moments he stared at the ground, and almost felt a mirthless laugh escape him. He had expected the part about the Gaara Corporation, but the other words she spoke had surprised him. After all he had gone through to reach her over the past few days; even to the point of jumping out of a boat with her and forcing her to swim with him, just so she wouldn't leave him. How could she be so dense to think that he was using her?

He realized once again how much he hated corporate politics and the rumors and all of the pointless shit that went along with it. He just wanted for once to be a regular guy, who liked a regular girl.

His silence began to unnerve her and apprehensive that she had offended him, Hinata laid her hand on his arm. "Itachi, I'm sorry," she said apologizing with unshed tears shimmering behind her eyes. She lowered her eyes and was unable to look at him as she admitted, "I only doubted you for a moment, and then I realized that there was no way you could be faking your feelings for me."

Itachi began to smile slowly as he pulled her closer to him because of her innocence, "How do you know I am not using you?"

Relief poured through her as she felt his body relax and heard the slight thread of amusement in his voice. "Well, uhm…for one thing, I figured you are already wealthy and powerful… so you have no need of me as an heiress or the power my father would be able to give you."

"True," he agreed and she felt his hand smooth gently over the bare skin. "Is that the only reason why you feel you can trust me?"

"N-no," Hinata stammered slightly as a blush began to tinge her cheeks as she considered other reasons why she believed he wasn't lying to her. The strongest reason being that when he looked at her, there was something in his eyes that told her she was important to him, she could sense that in some way he needed her.

She lifted her eyes toward his and watched as his face hovered just above hers. "Hinata, I like you. I have from the moment I met you and every time you are near me, nothing else seems to matter…" he whispered, lowering his mouth to hers, "but this…"

Hinata closed her eyes and melted into his embrace and felt herself pulled tightly into his chest. His mouth was almost hard and his kiss was different from the previous ones she had experienced with him. The other ones were gentle and undemanding whereas this one was full of something she couldn't even put a name to…

If she had to guess and only to herself would she ever admit, it seemed like it was full of…feelings, deep feelings.

After several long moments, Itachi pulled away from her and looked down with an almost solemn look in his eyes. "Just so you know; I am not planning a merger with the Gaara Corporation."

Hinata's eyes searched his for several moments and could sense he was telling her the truth. She released the breath she didn't even realize she had been holding.

Itachi reached out his hand to her, "Come on, I have something special planned for you."

Hinata placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to the passenger side of the car she remembered something and frowned, "What about your mother, isn't she flying in today?"

"Sasuke volunteered to go meet her at the airport," Itachi told her while opening the door for her.

"Oh, that was nice of him," Hinata remarked with a smile.

As he settled himself into the driver's seat and buckled his seat belt, he refrained from telling her how at first Sasuke refused and only agreed to do it after he lost at Rock, Paper, Scissors.

**Author's Note**: This chapter has been partially written for months and I apologize for only being able to finish it now. I'm sorry and I am so grateful to everyone who has sent me encouraging messages and reviews. You guys are the reason I am still writing and trying to finish this story and all of my other incomplete ones.


	10. Chapter 10

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 10**

* * *

_**AN: **__Since Kishimoto never gave Tenten a last name, I randomly assigned one to her._

* * *

"Alright pouty crybaby, what's the matter?" Tenten asked with a teasing grin as she kicked his leg with the side of her foot while she sat next to him at the airport, waiting for his mother's plane to arrive.

"Nothing," Sasuke mumbled before turning his attention back to his phone and the email he was reading.

Not to be deterred, Tenten pushed against his arm in a purposely annoying way. "Come on, I can tell something is wrong with you today," she prodded and held back the rising irritation that was beginning to build up in her. "You have been acting sort of…weird ever since you picked me up this morning," she observed with somewhat bewildered look on her face as she his face watched his very closely.

Mocking onyx eyes penetrated hers and he lifted up one skeptical eyebrow, "Hn, care to enlighten me on how my behavior has been, um… weird?"

A mirthless laugh escaped her as she looked at him incredulously_. Like you don't know, you jerk;_ her eyes accused him before a dark smile crossed her face.

"Well for one thing," she began as she raised one finger as the starting place for her list of his offenses. "You have been unfailingly polite and courteous…you even opened the door for me this morning when I got into the limo with you…"

Sasuke smirked and looked so detached, and amused that Tenten longed to hit him.

"…and number two," she added and tried to hold back a frustrated grin. "You have been a complete gentleman and haven't made any lewd remarks or said anything else that would offend me," she finished off sort of lamely, realizing that this was actually good behavior, but it was also confusing as hell to her, because it just wasn't normal for him.

Sasuke shrugged disinterestedly, "So you noticed." He leaned closer to her so his dark eyes were very close to hers, "I thought you would be happier about it."

Tenten's brown eyes snapped with a militant light as she protested, "Of course I am, I don't miss that rotten behavior at all!"

Sasuke sat back in his seat with a relieved sigh, feeling somewhat proud of himself for evading the real reason why he was acting differently today.

Unfortunately, his companion had sharp eyes that noticed practically everything. Her eyes were serious as they pinned down on him once again as she demanded, "Stop evading me and tell me why you are acting differently today?"

He shot her an irritated glance before releasing a resigned breath, "Fine, it's because my mother will be here, and I don't want to piss her off."

"Really?" Tenten asked in surprise, and couldn't stop an amused chuckle from escaping. "I would have never taken you for the obedient son type."

Sasuke's annoyed and somewhat embarrassed eyes met hers before he admitted reluctantly, "Itachi and I do not cross her without a good reason; she has a way of making our lives a living hell if we make her mad."

A mischievous light flit over her eyes as she began to giggle outright and patting him on the shoulder she teased, "If she can keep you and your brother in line, she must be a remarkable person…I can't wait to meet her."

Sasuke looked in the distance and cursed under his breath when he saw, as if on cue, his mother making an entrance along with her entourage into the baggage claim area.

"Well, she's here," he said and held out his hand to her while standing up very slowly. "Let's go meet her."

* * *

Tenten looked into the distance and felt her palms begin to sweat at the sight of the person coming towards her. Sasuke's mother was surrounded by people in various forms of business suits and uniforms and she was dressed in the latest haute couture. Tourists, thinking she was probably someone really famous, even started taking her photograph.

The closer she came to them, the more intimidated Tenten felt herself becoming. Sasuke's mother was easily one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Her eyes took in the perfectly made up dark eyes, elegant cheekbones and angles of her face, and she now knew where Itachi and Sasuke got their incredible good looks.

"That's your mother?" She whispered to Sasuke in awestruck tones and mentally groaned when she realized just how underdressed she was. This morning she had thrown on capri pants and a simple blouse and was only wearing sandals. Now she was kicking herself for not dressing up in one of her business suits.

There was also an imperious air about his mother that reminded her of the time she had met royalty at an embassy party one night, so much so that Tenten couldn't help leaning over to Sasuke and saying, "I am not sure if I should bow or curtsy to her when I greet her."

Sasuke shot her a look, which said _I told you so_ and paid her back for her teasing him earlier. "She would probably be amused if you did that, I dare you to do it."

She didn't get a chance to respond, because Sasuke's mother had spotted him and within in moments she had swept him up in a perfume-scented embrace.

"Ohhh Sasuke, I've missed you so much," she said as she hugged him tightly. Tenten watched her face as she held her son, and realized not only was she beautiful and intimidating, but she was also a mother, and one that clearly loved her son a great deal.

She also watched Sasuke closely, and saw that even though he was obviously uncomfortable with his mother's outward display of affection for him, he was also sort of happy about it too.

A warm smile began to spread over her face as she watched the reunion between mother and son, until she met Mikoto's eyes over his shoulder and held back a shocked laugh when Sasuke's mom suddenly winked at her.

Tenten felt completely thrown off-balance and had no idea what to do next. Especially when she watched the older woman release her son, and her expression was no longer motherly and kind when she asked, "Sasuke, are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Sasuke looked a little resigned and nervous when he reached out and politely brought Tenten forward to meet her. "Tenten Nishikawa, this is my mother, Mikoto Uchiha."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," she said while making a proper bow. As she lifted her head she noticed with some dismay that the other woman was observing her closely with sharp eyes, and it made her feel like a bug squirming under the lens of a microscope.

Tenten lifted her chin and held onto every bit of pride she could as his mother continued her almost brutal inspection. She was eventually rewarded with a small smile of approval and a warm greeting, "I am pleased to meet you as well, Miss Nishikawa."

Tenten was relieved when one of Mikoto's assistants came up to her and let her know that they had collected all of her luggage and contacted Sai to come get them.

"Thank you, Sarah," Mikoto said calmly before relaying several orders, one after the other. Tenten was impressed at the assistant's composure as she simply nodded and told her it would all be taken care of right away.

"Well, now that's all done," Mikoto said with a satisfied look on her face before her eyes quickly consulted her watch and then finally rested on Tenten and Sasuke with a rather intimidating grin. "Who's up for some shopping and lunch?"

Sasuke mentally cringed, and would rather be shot in the gut, and watch the blood bubble and gush out slowly, then to go shopping with his mother. For just a second he entertained the idea that he would refuse and let the two of them go out on their own, but after glancing over at Tenten, he knew she would never speak to him again if he did.

"Fine, I'll go," he muttered somewhat mutinously and after looking at his mother's amused face he knew he had never been given a choice to begin with.

"Splendid," Mikoto said while hiding a smug smile and turned toward Tenten with polite eyes, "And how about you, Miss Nishikawa, are you free this afternoon?"

"Please Mrs. Uchiha, call me Tenten," she requested somewhat uncomfortably.

"Alright, then, you may call me Mikoto," the older lady said and linked arms with the younger girls' and began leading her out of the airport. She turned over her shoulder and looked at her son and after giving him a grin that made him want to run like hell, she called out, "Come along, Sasuke."

* * *

(Torture scene one)

One hour and four posh department stores later:

Waiting in a chair outside the dressing rooms, Sasuke watches as his mother hauls an armful of clothes over to Tenten, "Look what I found, Tenten, let's try on one of every color…"

(Torture scene two)

Two more hours later:

Poor Sasuke sat all scrunched in the corner of the limo; surrounded by several shopping bags, he checked his watch and realized it still wasn't lunchtime…(damn!)

"I am not surprised your eyes are brown, Tenten," Mikoto observed with a tinkling little laugh. "Sasuke has always had a thing for girls with brown eyes. When he was in second grade he had the worst crush on his teacher, he was so adorable when he told me she had eyes the color of chocolate kisses…"

Tenten turned her doe eyes on him and giggled at the intense look of irritation brewing in his eyes. Sasuke turned away and shoved earbuds in his ears and turned the music up loud.

(Torture scene three)

One hour later at lunch:

Sitting across the delicate wrought iron table from his mother who was flanked on either side by Sai and Tenten as she showed them photos of him and Itachi from an Ipad when they were kids, Sasuke sat in stony silence, and wished someone would come and put him out of his misery.

"Awwwe, wasn't he just the cutest," his doting mother said of the photo of him trying to climb up a cliff after his father and older brother. "He was always so determined," she clucked and slid her finger over the screen to show them another photo.

His mother giggled as she was remembering back in the next photo. "…This is Sasuke when he was five …and _this_ was the fire department that showed up after he set our hotel room on fire," Mikoto shared with a rolling eyed glance at her son and a laugh.

"That was an accident," Sasuke muttered and gave his mother a dark look.

Mikoto reached out and placed her hand on his arm and gave him a soothing smile, "Of course it was, dear."

Tenten looked at Sasuke with a curious frown and asked, "What happened?"

He shrugged before reluctantly answering her, "Nothing much, Itachi and I were just practicing Karate and I accidentally kicked over a candle and set the drapes on fire. End of story."

An awkward silence hung over the table for a few minutes as it was obvious Sasuke was beginning to get really pissed off.

Mikoto leaned toward tenten and whispered, "I don't know what _really_ happened, but for some reason he always gets touchy about it when I bring that day up."

Tenten glanced over at his pinched face as he continued to eat his soup in silence, and felt a little sorry for him.

Not able to resist any longer, Sai shot Sasuke a mischievous look before turning toward Tenten and asking, "Do you want to know what Sasuke's family nick-name is?"

"Don't go there, Sai," Sasuke threatened, giving his friend a murderous look.

"What is it?" Tenten asked with a good-natured chuckle, clearly enjoying the torture they were putting Sasuke through.

"Sai," Sasuke growled through gritted teeth with threats of violence lurking in his eyes.

His friend ignored him and grinned, "It's…" He stared at Tenten and held the suspense for as long as he could before he started laughing.

"I'm sorry, Tenten I was just kidding around," he said and then turned back to Sasuke and gave him the peace sign and mouthed, "Bros before Ho's, I got your back, man." Sasuke gave his friend a relieved look and relaxed back in his seat.

"Sai," Mikoto's voice rang out coolly. "Would you care to repeat what you just said?"

His eyes opened wide and then cringed, knowing he had just gone too far. "Um no, Mikoto-sama," Sai said slowly with a meek and apologetic smile. "I should probably get back to work now," he said while jumping out of his seat like it was on fire and was out the door in seconds.

Mikoto consulted her watch and looked at Sasuke and Tenten. "I've scheduled a spa appointment at 4:00, would either of you care to join me?"

"Uh sure, I'll go," Tenten replied somewhat cautiously. She was finding Sasuke's mom wasn't as bad as she had first thought, but she was still pretty scary.

Sasuke looked over at the two women across from him and decided he couldn't take anymore.

"Fuck it, I'm done," he said, beyond caring that his mother was going to get pissed at his use of bad language in front of her and Tenten. He picked up his keys and phone and stalked off.

"Don't forget about dinner at my place at 7:00 tonight, Sasuke. Let your brother know about it too," his mother called out to his departing back and grinned in satisfaction. _Hmm my boy, you lasted longer than I expected you to…you must really like her._

**Author's Note:** Many thanks to all of you for leaving me reviews on the last chapter. I would write all of you personal notes, but the last chapter sort of wore me out. Anyway, I got a little crackish in the middle (I do that on occasion, I can't seem to help myself lol) and I hope it isn't too confusing. I have been reading a lot of manga lately and it is affecting the way I write. Well, I am off right now to go watch the Taiwanese Drama, Skip Beat, it is sooo adorable. I will try to post another chapter this week. I am really going to try to finish this story by the end of the month (fingers crossed) Hugs.


	11. Chapter 11

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**~Chapter 11~**

* * *

**AN: **I just wanted to warn you, there is some foul language in the chapter.

Sitting in the car next to him, Hinata had an absurd urge to laugh. It wasn't because there was anything particularly funny floating in her mind, she just felt like doing it.

The top was down on the car allowing the warm, morning, Las Vegas sun to shine brightly on them as they drove through the city. A lovely breeze blew over her face and through her hair, taking away most of the tension she had felt at the conference and arguing with her cousin along with it.

Her lips quirked in a semi-smile and she darted Itachi a sideways glance to see if he was watching her. She was relieved when she saw he had his eyes planted firmly on the road and the traffic around them and didn't seem to be paying attention to her foolish behavior at all.

Unable to stop herself, she turned toward the window and allowed herself to smile to her heart's content.

It felt like the heavens were really watching over her when just a few moments later, one of her favorite songs started playing on the radio. Hinata reached out to turn it up, but Itachi's hand was there first.

_We even like the same music_, she mused with an inward giggle and shot him a happy grin. Over the past few days she had realized they had a lot in common and now they had one more. Warmth flooded her cheeks and her heart began to race when her eyes connected with his and the corner of his mouth turned up in an answering smile.

When he turned his eyes back on the road, Hinata demurely placed her hands in her lap and outwardly (at least) tried her very hardest to maintain her composure.

_Alright, cool it Hinata, don't tempt the fates, don't ask for more than you deserve_, the practical side of her brain warned her. Turning away toward the window she quickly shut down that voice and refused to listen to it anymore. She knew her relationship with him was uncertain considering the distance between New York and Tokyo and probably would not last past the next two days, but she still wanted to be with him.

She wanted him like she had never wanted anything before in her life, because he made her happy…ridiculously so, and she wanted to be by his side for as long as his interest in her lasted. Then, when the time came for her father to arrange a marriage for her, she would have at least had this time with him…

"What are you thinking about, Hinata?" Itachi asked, interrupting her thoughts.

A little startled and unprepared to answer him, she looked down at her hands and felt the car stop and saw the light had just turned red. Since there was no way she could ever admit the truth, she just said in a small voice, "Um…just about life and uncertainties."

She felt his hand cover hers and after meeting his dark eyes her heart skipped a beat when she heard him say, "I have never been more certain about anything in my life."

The serious look on his face let her know he was talking about her and them as a couple.

"Itachi," she whispered and hardly dared to believe what he was implying about the two of them. A rush of warmth flooded her heart as she watched him lean towards her with an intense gaze and without another thought or any awkwardness at all she met his kiss halfway.

The moment his lips touched hers she felt a familiar magic, so exciting and unbearably precious, it made her long for more than just a few days with him. Wanting to engrave the sweetness of the moment on her heart, she opened her mouth under his and savored the feel of his warm lips, his breath and scent and felt herself falling even more for him.

As his lips buried themselves even deeper into hers, she responded joyfully and laid her hand gently on his dear face, knowing in spite of all of the uncertainties of their relationship, she would never regret a single second she spent with him.

In the car, time had stood still for the couple who were engrossed only in each other, but not for the cars around them. The light had turned green several seconds ago and the other drivers behind them were starting to grow impatient and honk their horns loudly.

Almost in a fog the two of them broke apart and their eyes met and they laughed. Reluctantly turning his attention back toward the road, Itachi began to drive forward in a very controlled, but very fast manner.

A few miles later, he pulled up in front of a large building complex and parked the car in a spot designated for distinguished visitors and guests. Right after turning off the ignition and setting the car brake, and without a speaking a word, they reached for each other.

Ten minutes later:

Walking with hands intimately tangled through the double doors into the main entrance of the building, Hinata had a rosy blush on her face as she looked around with curious eyes and asked, "So, what is this place."

The only thing she could tell by looking around was that it was huge, and the name of it was, "The Akatsuki Foundation."

"It is a charity foundation that was started by my friend a few years ago…" Itachi told her while she looked around impressed by the sheer size of the place. "…for at-risk children, teenagers and unwed mothers."

A few young teen-aged boys ran past them and one of them recognized Itachi and said with a hurried wave, "Hey, Mr. Uchiha."

"Johnny, Jason," Itachi greeted them with a polite nod.

Not stopping to chat, the two boys eyes darted anxiously down the hallway and they scurried out the double doors, running like the building was on fire.

Hinata's jaw dropped a few seconds later as she watched a man, about Itachi's age and size, with long white hair and flashing demon eyes charge around the corner yelling, "Johnny, Jason, you little fuckers! Get your mother-fucking, delinquent asses back to class, RIGHT NOW!"

Watching him fly by them with a demonic fury, Hinata's eyes opened wide and she clutched Itachi's arm in alarm.

"He's harmless," he told her with a careless shrug as they watched the man skid to a stop at the double doors while his eyes scanned in the distance for the truant boys. "He is actually quite good with the kids, most of the time."

Hinata's eyes were skeptical, especially after the demon man yelled out a few more colorful obscenities and muttered dire and painfully ominous threats under his breath about what he was going to do them once he found them. His eyes grew scary and vengeful when he spotted the boys lurking behind a tree. "I got you now," he said with a bit of an insane laugh.

He turned toward Itachi with a crazed, but mischievous look in his eyes, "Hey Genius, I am going to go deal with the little bastards, I'll meet you in the cafeteria later." Then he burst out the double doors, scaring the living hell out of the two boys, who had started screaming while running away.

"Do you know this person?" Hinata asked him breathlessly as it seemed like all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the room after the insane man left.

"Unfortunately, yes," Itachi said with a humorless laugh and he began leading her down the hallway to give her a tour of the massive facility. He explained how when he was in high school, one of his teachers was worried he was not receiving enough socialization, since he kept to himself so much of the time. Not wanting to worry his parents unduly, the well-meaning teacher decided to find him a friend with the same social standing as his.

Hidan was also from a very wealthy family, and was a loner and an outcast that made the school administrators and his teachers very nervous. They were afraid one day he was going turn psychotic and blow up the school or something equally horrific. So, they decided to force him into a study hall with Itachi, hoping to prevent a crisis and maybe the brilliant Uchiha could even help him get his grades up enough to pass.

"In the beginning, our dislike of each other was entirely mutual," Itachi continued as they peered into a classroom, where several young kids were sitting in a circle while their teacher read out loud to them.

"But, over time we found we had a lot of things in common…" he admitted with a hint of wry amusement in his voice as he began leading her down the hall again. "…and we became friends. After we both graduated, Hidan took over his family's charities and he started this foundation and after I saw the progress he was making in the community, I became one of his largest donors."

Hinata listened to him and felt herself melt as she glanced at his flawless profile and his natural reserve and saw a rare glimpse of the heart he kept well hidden most of the time. She knew she was seeing a side of him very few people ever saw and felt immensely privileged.

While she was not all that surprised about him caring for children, she had to admit his friendship with a man like Hidan was very much a shock to her. Never in a million years would she have seen the two of them as friends, they were just so opposite of each other.

To be fair, as she thought these things, Hinata realized she had just met the man and even though her first impression of him was not favorable, she knew because Itachi liked him she had to be open-minded and give him a another chance.

An hour later, she had to admit that the place was well-run and most of the kids seemed to being happy and content in their environment. During the time she spent there she got the chance to meet several of the children and quite a few of the young mothers and their stories were often painfully heartbreaking and sad.

She had to applaud Itachi's friend for taking up such a difficult cause and giving hope and dealing with so many broken children. Seeing the work that was done here, she began to make plans to finding a similar charity in Tokyo to donate her money and time to, as well as sending a donation check here after she returned home.

Hinata's heart turned over when she saw Itachi's dark head as he knelt down and was talking to some young children and she noted they seemed to be playing a game with him. As she watched their smiling faces, she noted the young ones seemed to take endless joy out the fact that he remembered every single kid's name perfectly. It had been a year since he had been here last, but he still didn't forget a single one of their names.

Bouncing up and down the children kept laughing and innocently pointing to everyone in the room, "Who's that?" and he would answer them. Finally, they turned to her and pointed and Itachi said with warm eyes as he looked straight at her and gave her a half-smile.

"Miss Hinata."

Laughing, one of the older children said knowingly, "She's your girlfriend, we saw you kissing her in your car."

Hinata blushed as her eyes met his and as she stood there staring at his utterly gorgeous face, the thought occurred to her with a sudden and blinding clarity that she had been judging a book by its cover with him the whole time. Remembering back to the first night she met him at the Tabu, all she could ever see was how perfect he was, his intelligence, his amazing good looks and compare herself negatively to him.

She had been putting up road blocks every step of the way, and he kept knocking them down, one by one, trying to reach her.

Turning away from him and mentally blocking out the sound of the rambunctious children all around them, Hinata admitted to herself this outing showed her there was a lot more to him than she ever realized and it made her feel foolish at all of the fears she has felt all along.

A painful realization also hit her that she has probably been in love with him, deeply and irrevocably from the moment she met him. She now knew, no matter what her father had planned for her, she would not marry another man just to please her father.

Almost numb with shock, she felt herself being led away from the children so they could have some privacy. "Are you alright?" He asked her after the silence between them stretched too long.

With shaky fingers as though she couldn't stop herself from doing it, she reached up and traced ever so lightly the fine lines of his jaw, not knowing her heart was in her eyes as she did it.

Under the gentleness of her touch, Itachi closed his eyes. He wasn't sure what she would see in them if he looked at her and he didn't want to frighten her. He reminded himself once again, he was a patient man.

"I'm sorry," she said softly and she took her hand away from his face and her eyes filled with shame.

"For what?" he asked and opened his eyes as his brows drew together slightly. He really had no idea why she was apologizing to him.

"I-I have misjudged you," she said haltingly and placed her hands over his as she stared down at the floor.

Itachi tangled his fingers with hers and asked gently, "How have you misjudged me?"

She released a painful sigh, "Since the moment I met you, I have been afraid of you, of allowing you to get too close to me," she admitted reluctantly, but felt he deserved the truth from her, now that she understood her actions. "I used your looks, intelligence…well, all of you," her eyes flashed over him along with a helpless little smile and she let him see just how incredible she thought he was, before continuing, "…as a reason why you could never want someone…like me."

"It's alright," he said and wrapped his arms around her soothingly. "I understand, you didn't want to get hurt."

Hinata nodded and was gathering her courage to say more and desperately trying to stop deeply painful emotions from erupting, when she felt a little hand wrap around hers. Glancing down, she saw it was Rosie, a three year old little girl she had met and played dolls with earlier.

"Miss Hinata, it's lunchtime," she said in a cute and forceful voice and the tight grip on her hand told her the little girl wanted to eat lunch with her now and wouldn't take no for an answer.

As she reached down and lifted the little blonde girl into her arms and enveloped her in a tight hug, needing the comfort that contact could bring her, she felt a sense of unnatural calm, such as one that follows a storm, come over her.

Her eyes met Itachi's and she saw understanding in his eyes, but also approval. Unlike her father, she could tell he didn't hate her for her weakness. The knowledge made her feel light and a little free as though a large burden was suddenly lifted from her shoulders.

"Come on Miss Hinata, I'm hungry," Rosie complained as she pulled herself out of the tight hug, she had been wrapped in.

"I''m sorry, Rosie," she said and gave her an apologetic smile as she set her down and allowed the little girl to begin leading her to the cafeteria.

Itachi watched as Hinata turned in his direction to see if he was following and flashed him a helpless smile as her captor dragged her away. Before she looked away her eyes silently thanked him for bringing her here today.

As he began to follow them, he was glad he brought her here. In his life, he knew with careful planning and calculation you could make things happen. He had hoped by bringing her to this place she would begin to see him in a different way, and his decision had paid off even better than he had hoped it would.

He was finally beginning to see the thick defensive walls she had built between them begin to slip away. He had been a little shocked earlier at how deeply broken and wounded she was, the eyes she had shown him when she apologized were eerily similar to a lot of the kids around here. His mouth formed into a tight line as he thought about her father, he must have been a real bastard to her.

Itachi knew she deserved better than that, even though he realized he was not nearly as nice as she seemed to think he was. Itachi knew himself well, and knew he could be a complete bastard when the situation called for it. He was tough and at times cold and cynical and he didn't make excuses for the way he was, he just accepted it. However, he knew if he had her in his life, she would help him to become a better man.

Because nobody warmed his heart, like she did, and as he watched her help dish up Rosie a plate and laugh at something the little girl said, he saw how genuine she was and he loved the honesty of her smile. Hinata was gentle and kind, but she was also a fighter and he could tell by some of the comments she had made over the past few days her father had tried to break her spirit and treated her like she was weak and useless.

But Itachi knew that was not weak, he had met plenty of weak people in his lifetime and she was not one of them. She was strong and resilient, but Hinata just didn't believe in herself, and thought of herself as being weak.

As he sat down at the table and accepted the plate of food she had gotten for him, he hoped what he had planned later in the day was the right thing to do. He wanted her to start seeing herself the way he saw her.

"Miss Hinata," Rosie said in happy voice after swallowing a bite of macaroni and cheese. "We're going on a field trip!"

"We are?" Hinata asked in a voice filled with surprise and her eyes slid over to Itachi with a question in them and a warm smile.

"Yes, we are," he confirmed as he glanced over at the little girl.

"Um okay," Hinata said before curiosity got the best of her and she asked, "So, where are we going to?"

Rosie's eyes were big as she grinned and looked over at Itachi, "It's a secret!"

"Yeah, and it was a pain in the ass to set up too," Hidan complained to Itachi as he joined their group. His eyes glanced over toward the young lady for whom a month's work of planning and coordination had been accomplished in one day and was surprised.

The female was completely unlike any he had ever seen Itachi be interested in before. He watched as a blush slid over her cheeks and he saw she had eyes about as pure and innocent as they came, just like some of the kids here.

He held out his hand and gave her his most charming smile, "Nice to meet you Miss…?"

"Hyuuga," Itachi supplied coolly for him, his eyes clearly told him to behave or else.

Hidan's eye brows shot up when he heard the name of his friend's girlfriend and bit back an amused chuckle. Of course, he had heard of the Hyuugas since he had grown up mostly in Japan, he also knew of the feud between their families. After all, who in the business world didn't know of it?

An ironic chuckle escaped him as he considered his brilliant friend, Itachi. Leave it up to the genius to find and fall in love with the one woman on earth he should stay away from. He knew it was typical of Itachi, because he wasn't one to run from complicated problems. It was one of the reasons he was so damn successful, he took on seemingly unsolvable business problems no one else would.

"I'm, Hidan," he started to tell her before his eyes happened to glance over at the table beside him. "Oh fuck! Davy! Put that shit down!" He yelled before swooping down on the young offender and taking glue bottle out of his hands and pointing at it. "How many times have I told you this is not food? It's glue, damn it."

Hinata flinched at his colorful language, but looking around she noticed the kids around them weren't even bothered by it; they seemed more entertained by him than anything. She also saw in the corner, young Johnny and Jason were sitting at a table eating lunch and they were perfectly fine.

Hidan made it back to their table and heaved a long suffering sigh under his breath, "The little shit."

His dark eyes glanced at his watch before he pinned them on Hinata, "Are you ready to go, Miss Hyuuga?" Hidan said and he gave the signal to the workers to start getting the kids ready and lined up to go on the bus.

She gave a wary glance over at Itachi before smiling, "I guess so."

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long wait on this update. I got really stuck on an easy part that I didn't expect to have any problems with. Anyway, as you probably can tell by the ending there will be another part of this chapter. I had to break it off somewhere because it was getting too long. Please leave me feedback; I would love to hear from you.

Sil, if you are reading this, I am sorry. I owe you an email, I will write you a long letter when I get some free time. Thanks dear.

Lady Crack/Am, I owe you one too. Thanks so much for your support, you are awesome, big hugs!

Fanofthisfiction: I always think of you when I write this story because of all of the encouragement you have given me, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you. Have a great day!

Chinkypinai: Thanks so much, I am glad you like it.

Kai: Thanks so much for your kind words, you don't know how much they meant to me!

Blackmoon124: I was so glad when I saw your review, thanks so much and I hope you are doing well.

Blackirishhawk: LOL, I really felt for Sasuke too when I was trashing him and abusing his poor character. It was all in good fun and hopefully in this story and in the manga he will begin to grow up a little. **fingers crossed**

Hinatahyuga387: I am so glad you like the Sasu/ten in it. I get a lot of crap sometimes for writing about them, but I think they are great together.

BalerPaX: Thanks so much for reading this and some of my other stories. I am glad you get my silly humor, sometimes it runs away with me. I hope I wasn't too over the top with Hidan in this chapter…let me know.

Yume824: Thanks for reading my updates and I hope your situation has improved in the last few weeks. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.

Let's Play Funeral: Thanks Iris, good luck on writing an original story, I am sure it will be great and a rewarding experience for you. Take care and happy writing.

XxXUchiha SurayaXxX: Thanks for your kind words; I am glad you liked the ending.


	12. Chapter 12

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

**Special thanks to: **TheLoverOfMusic for reading and reviewing on every chapter for most of my stories last week. All I can say is wow, and thanks for being so kind. Hugs!

* * *

Sparkling eyes watched the stage and even though the performers were not dressed in flashy costumes while rehearsing for the Cirque du Soleil KA, just being there was still an amazing thing. At least Hinata thought so, and watching it with the children and young teen-agers and seeing it freshly through their eyes made it feel like she was seeing it again for the first time.

"Look! Miss Hinata, the acr'bats!" Rosie giggled while bouncing up and down in her arms. "They're so funny!"

Hugging her tighter and chuckling, Hinata thought the little girl was precious and was thankful for the rare opportunity to spend time with children. Her father considered any time spent with them to be a waste and he always strongly advised her to do something more productive with her free time.

A stubborn light entered her eyes as she thought how a lot of things were going to change in her life after she got home. Her father's iron control over her was going to come to an end.

In her arms, Rosie started to yawn.

"Are you tired, sweetie?"

The little girl shook her head mulishly, "Uh uh." She didn't want to go to sleep because she was having too much fun, but her three year old body was telling her otherwise.

Hinata watched with a fond smile as the little girl's eyes began to grow heavy and within five minutes her head was on her shoulder and she was fast asleep.

* * *

From across the huge auditorium, Itachi just hung up his phone with one of his managers after dealing with a critical problem. Without even consciously thinking about it his gaze automatically drifted over near the stage where Hinata was. A slight smile hovered over his mouth as he watched her laugh at something that happened on the stage and he was glad he brought her here.

Rehearsals were not normally open to the public or media, but Hidan had some connections and was able to get them in. The charity would give the KA production a tax write off as they considered this visit a donation, but there was one more thing they needed to do to repay the favor…as he headed in her direction he just hoped Hinata was open to the idea.

Coming up next to her Itachi slid his arm around her waist and rested his hand casually on her hip. He was rewarded when she moved closer to him, and leaned the back of her head comfortably against his chest.

His eyes met hers and he glanced over at the child gently snoring in her arms and teased, "Looks like you made a friend."

"I know," she said wistfully and moved her face against to the child's soft curls. "I wish I could take her home with me."

A soft laugh sounded behind her, "I don't think her aunt and uncle would give her up, but I agree with you, she is a doll," one of the female workers from the charity said as she reached out and took the sleeping child from her.

"I'm glad," Hinata said with a smile as she watched them go, happy the little girl had family that loved her. She knew sadly so many of the children being helped by the charity did not.

Itachi's arms moved around her like a safe haven and with a happy sigh she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her face against his chest. "I've had a lot of fun today," she said and watched as the performers began to exit the stage while crewmembers began tearing down sets and removing props.

"I'm glad," Itachi said with a slight smile as he held her and rested his chin on the top of her head. "Hidan went to a lot of trouble to set this up for us; he had to call in a few favors and..."

"The stage will be ready for you in about 15 minutes, Mr. Uchiha," one of the workers called down from the stage, interrupting him.

"Thank you," Itachi replied firmly and feeling a slight amount of tension in his body, and wondering what was going on Hinata looked up at him with curious eyes.

"Are you going up on stage, Itachi?"

"Yes," he responded and his eyes moved away from her toward the stage.

Hinata frowned as she stared at him; he seemed to be slightly on edge, as if he was expecting something to happen.

She didn't have to wonder for very long, because soon, a middle-aged man of Chinese descent appeared on stage, and behind him a large screen was lowered. He introduced himself as the director of the Wushu Martial Arts section for the show.

As he spoke, many of the KA cast members, stage hands, and martial arts performers began to surround the stage and it wasn't long before the huge open area in front of it was filled with people. There was an expectant air stirring the crowd as if rumors had been floating around and they were waiting for something unusual to occur.

The director lifted a microphone and like magic the noise from the crowd stopped. "Practice was cut a little short today so we could see something really special," he said brimming with excitement. "There are two people in our audience who have agreed to put on a demonstration of their specialized forms of martial arts, in return for letting the Akatsuki charity come to our practice today."

Hinata's stomach began to lurch wildly and she hoped the director was not talking about her. Standing still as a statue while staring desperately at the ground, she prayed the other person was going to be Hidan up on stage with him, not her.

"Hinata," Itachi said as he turned toward her and linked his fingers gently with hers. "Will you fight me?"

Feeling shell-shocked, she stood there gaping at him and felt a near hysterical urge to laugh and then hyperventilate. _NO WAY!_ Her mind screamed; she absolutely feared and loathed getting on stage or being in front of people. At her job, she was grateful that so far, her father had not required her to do too much public speaking or interviews for the company; most of her work was done behind the scenes. Her cousin, Neji, was the one he called on to do most of the public appearance jobs.

"C-can't you have H-Hidan or someone else go up there with you?" She asked in a tight voice as she looked down at the ground, so he wouldn't see the fear in her eyes.

"Hell no," Itachi's friend said as he came up beside them. "I gave that crap up years ago," he mused and turned to her. "Besides, I saw you two on the news a few days ago; I think you could probably kick his ass."

The kids and teens from the Akatsuki charity began to form around them along with the small children. They began chanting excitedly…

"Hin-a-ta!… Hin-a-ta!… Hin-a-ta!"

As she listened to them, it felt like the world was closing in on her. Fear of failure, and her father's disapproving face began to flash in front of her and memories of past failures began to surface, taunting her, telling her without her name, she was nothing.

Itachi's warm hand tenderly gripped around hers and she felt him pull her closer to him. His confident presence ripped away those destructive images and gave her the strength to lift her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I can't do it," she apologized to the kids all around her. "I-I don't like getting up in front of large groups of people."

"Aww, I wanted to see you fight," Mary, one of the teenage mothers complained.

All around her the kids began to make disappointed noises, they had all seen the news clip on television (Hidan had shown them) and they wanted to see both of them in action.

"Yeah, me too," another said in a sad tone of voice. "You are such a badass, Miss Hinata!"

Hidan smirked and picked up one of the little pre-school boys and pointed a long finger dramatically at his sad face and said, "Come on Hinata, do it for the children."

Her eyes scanned their dear faces, and knew she had no choice. She had to go up on the stage.

"Come on, Hinata," Itachi said as he began to gently, but firmly pull her toward the stage. While reluctantly following him, her eyes caught a glimpse of his face and even though he didn't show any expression on it, she had a sinking suspicion he had planned this all along.

As she began to climb the stairs behind him to go back behind the stage to prepare, she remembered the first time he told her his name while meeting at the Tabu.

"_Your name means weasel," _she had said.

"_I think it suits me", _he had told her with a smile. At the time she had been so dazzled by him, she had thought there was no way that could be true, but now she wasn't so sure.

Feeling a little like an wild animal backed into a corner, her chin lifted up stubbornly and for the first time since she had met him, she felt angry at him and a little hurt. He had made it impossible for her to say no and back out of this. He knew with the children here, there was no way she would be able to deny them.

Why was he doing this to her?

Her eyes got a glimpse of his face and she saw there was only a faint line of determination around his mouth. As usual, she couldn't read him or understand him at all…

He released her hand and turned to open the door so he could go change his clothes.

"Why does it have to be me, Itachi?" she asked quietly with an edge to her voice, while desperately trying to figure out his motives. "You know how I feel about getting up in front of people."

He turned and looked at her with matter of fact eyes and said simply, "You are the only one with the skill to match me."

"Oh," she said in a small voice as some of her anger, but not all, began to evaporate. In its place, a frustrated sense of skepticism began to take root as she looked back at him with dubious eyes, "Do you really believe that?"

He looked into her beautiful eyes and saw the self-doubt and fear lurking in them and felt his resolve begin to weaken. He could see his actions had hurt and disappointed her, but he felt they had been necessary if they were ever to move forward in their relationship.

In this situation, he felt words alone from him would not be enough. He could tell her over and over how amazing he thought she was, but her lack of faith in herself was too deep for her to accept it. If he was going to reach her, he had to bring her to place where she could see it for herself.

Firming his resolve, he placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "Of course."

Her eyes peered into his and she didn't see even the slightest hint that he was acting condescending or patronizing her in any way, she only saw belief in them and that he was asking her to trust him.

"I know you can do it," he told her firmly with a warm and confident look that bolstered her assurance as much, if not more, than his words did.

She nodded and bit her lip slightly. "I will try my best," she said and turned to go into her dressing room. As she opened the door she prayed she would not let him down, but knowing herself as well as she did, she had a feeling she probably would.

* * *

Behind the stage, some of the wardrobe staff found her some white yoga pants and a black tank top that fit her perfectly and allowed her full range of motion and on her feet she chose to go barefoot. That was how she always trained, and she needed the traction her bare feet would give her on the wooden floor.

They quickly pulled her hair back into a long pony tail that hung in silky waves down her back.

"Your hair is so lovely, Miss Hyuuga," Teri, one of the make-up artists said with a touch of awed admiration in her voice. "I don't think I have ever seen this shade of black before. It's like it is so dark, it is almost blue when the light touches it."

"It's a family trait, every generation or so, it just shows up," Hinata explained a little self-consciously. She wasn't used to people complimenting her, but still a part of her was grateful for the chatter and the distraction. A nervous breath escaped her after she glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was almost time.

Her heart began to race, and after taking a calming breath she began to stretch out her limbs and muscles with the same familiar routine she always did at home before she trained.

Ever since she was old enough to walk, training had been a part of her daily life, together with her sister and cousin. It was a long family tradition due to the constant threat of abduction and kidnapping. Over the years, their family had developed their own style of martial arts and self defense, and deep within her, she took pride in the fact that she had mastered it. It didn't come easy to her, like it did with her cousin, but she had worked hard so that even her father could not criticize her in this area.

In her life, she knew this was her only true talent, but for the most part, it was one that was largely kept secret. Back home in Japan, her father did not allow her to tell anyone about it, hoping to keep the element of surprise on her side if she ever were attacked.

A small rebellious smile touched her mouth as she knew if her father ever found out she had sparred on stage, he would pitch a fit. Strangely the thought almost made her feel a little better.

A knock sounded on the door, startling her while mid-kata and her hand slipped up to her throat.

"Come in," Teri called out.

"Miss Hyuuga, they are ready for you," the stage hand said through the cracked door.

Her eyes closed as nerves began to get the best of her again. "Alright, thank you." Reluctantly she stood up and began to head toward her doom.

"Break a leg," Teri joked saying the old worn out theatre line, but Hinata was too nervous to laugh, she only gave her a weak smile before she left.

* * *

While stepping out onto the sidelines of the stage she heard the crowd laugh and chuckle good naturedly and saw that while her and Itachi had been getting ready, the director had shown on the screen above the stage the security footage and news report from when her and Itachi had been attacked.

Hearing the reactions from the crowd about the incident was oddly soothing to her; she just hoped she didn't have a repeat performance and fall on her face.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw a movement on the other side of the stage and saw, dressed in similar workout clothes as her, Itachi was waiting to go on stage. Her gaze was admiring as she noticed unlike her, he was completely relaxed as if going on stage was a normal, everyday occurrence for him.

Her palms began to sweat when she saw the screen turn off and the director bow towards Itachi and then towards her while speaking in fluent Japanese.

"Uchiha-san, Hyuuga-san, you honor us with your presence. The stage is all yours…" he said with a grand, sweeping gesture before descending down the stairs into the front of the crowd near the stage to watch.

Walking out under the bright lights onto the stage, her steps appeared to be graceful and sure, but inwardly she was quaking and her heart was beating so fast, she just knew it was going to implode any moment. She met Itachi in the middle and out of courtesy and a little sense of their theatrical surroundings; they bowed politely in unison while facing the crowd.

When she lifted her eyes and surveyed the crowd in front of her it was as if a key in an old door was turned, and it was flung wide open in her mind. For a moment she stood there paralyzed, and all she could see was many sets of eyes staring at her.

Hyuuga eyes.

Critical; full of censure; demanding; Hyuuga eyes. She had never been good enough for any of them, and had never met her large, extended family's standards of how an heiress should act. It started when she was six and it was the first time she was allowed to pour tea for the adults. She tripped over the carpet, fell flat on her face and splashed hot tea, cream, and sugar everywhere.

"_Hiashi, your daughter is useless, look at her, she can't even pour tea," her aunt's harsh, cynical laughter still rang in her ears. _

Her father never defended her; he just gave her a cold and disappointed look, and ordered her out of the room. It was four more years before he deemed her worthy enough to pour tea again.

Countless family gatherings occurred over the years, where the faces were the same as well as the critical remarks, but nothing ever changed, and even today as an adult, their words still had the power to cut her.

Inside, she felt coiled tight as a wound up metal spring, tense and angry. Her breath was starting to come out in harsh pants when suddenly she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, the squeeze he gave her was so gentle and comforting it broke through her tortured memories, and brought her back to reality.

Breathing hard, it only took a second for her realize the crowd was unnaturally still, and quiet and everyone was watching her. Panic threatened to overwhelm her as her worst fears were coming true.

His hand came around hers, and feeling dazed, and ready to take flight, she reluctantly allowed him to lead her to the center of the stage. His dark eyes met hers, "Focus on me…and only on me," Itachi ordered.

A shaky breath escaped her as she kept her eyes riveted on his and immediately began to follow his lead as he started guiding her through the movements of a familiar and well-known kata. Her legs were shaking, but after a few minutes had passed she slowly could begin to feel the tight muscles in her body relax and become flexible as they usually were. Overhead, music began to play loudly and the majestic soundtrack from KA began to float around them.

Her eyes still latched on his, she could feel her heartbeat steadily slow and go back to normal and the crowd around them begin to disappear.

"Are you ready? He asked her.

Hinata's face was still taut with tension, but her eyes were calm as she nodded.

* * *

It only took Itachi a matter of seconds to realize after she came out on the stage that he had miscalculated badly, and was the world's biggest asshole.

Worse than that, a know-it-all-asshole.

The other thing he learned was that Hinata wasn't Sasuke, and what worked for him, didn't for her. While growing up his brother positively thrived in all of the sink or swim situations he had thrown him in. The harsher the test he threw at him, the stronger his little brother came out of it.

_I'm an idiot. _

He knew if he messed up with her it would be the biggest mistake of his life.

_Forgive me; I'm sorry_, his eyes said as they looked at her. He never meant to hurt her. He realized in hindsight he should have asked her to fight him in private, not knowing just how truly fearful she was of being in the spotlight.

Apologizing was something he rarely did in his life; he kept people too far away in the distance, and he could never get the words out. All of his old girlfriends could attest to that fact being true. Every single one of them laid that accusation, and other similar ones against him just before they left him.

But with her, he would do it, gladly. In front of the whole world if he had to, she meant that much to him.

The anguish he saw in her eyes snapped him into action, and he touched her shoulder and began pulling her to the center of the stage. After getting her to focus on him and follow his lead, he finally saw she was ready…

* * *

After a short bow to each other started the unofficial sparring demonstration between them, Hinata surprised him by attacking with so much aggression, and speed, she almost scored a lethal hit against him. He was just barely able to block it.

A small smile of acknowledgement touched his mouth when he noted she had made him take a step back. Itachi lifted his eyes and met hers in a silent salute and felt relief flood him when he saw her eyes were focused and intense and she was almost fully recovered from her panic attack earlier.

He could tell by the disciplined way she moved that training and sparring was a big part of her life. He had guessed as much, when they were attacked a few nights ago, there had been no hesitation on her part as she took down two of the men. Like him, she had razor sharp reactions in her movements that no casual training regimen could ever hope to achieve.

Nearly mesmerized by the confident way she attacked him he found he was even more entranced by her style. It was unusually fluid, and it suited her perfectly. He knew he was a lot stronger and of course bigger, but she made up for those deficiencies with flexibility and speed.

Hinata kicked out when she thought she saw an opening on his left side and in a flash of lightning fast reflexes from him it was gone. In her mind, Itachi was obviously in a class above her in terms of pure skill. He had the most flawlessly innovative defense she had ever witnessed. The more she tried to exploit and break through it, the faster he would block her. Not only that, he was opportunistic with his defense and was able to transition every move so that it transitioned into offense.

She found her quick and efficiently fluid style of attacking almost broke down a few times as she was forced to take chances she normally wouldn't. Feeling a little desperate she bent down almost to the ground and tried a sweeping roundhouse kick.

Catering to the crowd a bit, Itachi performed a flashy back-flip and landed firmly back in position on his feet. He didn't have time to rest, because Hinata's extended leg and foot was nearly buried into his chest. Acting with pure reflexes only, he grabbed her by the ankle and flung her over his head into the air behind him.

Feeling herself floating, Hinata tucked herself in a tight ball and spun around and landed in a crouched position on her feet. The landing stung a little because there wasn't a rubber mat beneath them like they had at home.

Adrenaline began to rocket through her when she could hear mostly the girls and ladies in the crowd begin to chant her name over and over and yell out encouraging words to her. She had never fought in public before, so hearing them was a heady experience for her.

Worried, Itachi spun around quickly and was relieved to see he hadn't injured her. However, the breath was nearly knocked out of him when his eyes took in the huge grin she had on her face, and how her eyes were sparkling brighter than diamonds.

Earlier, when he had helped Hidan make arrangements for today, that glowing smile on her face had been his intended result. It was all he ever wanted from her, was to see her happy; those haunted eyes she had shown him on a few occasions had made him feel sick and angry. He never wanted to see that look in her eyes again.

Buoyant and bursting with new found energy, Hinata came at him launching an all out assault. Changing her stance, she tried new tactics and began attacking him aggressively from new angles and all directions.

Impressed, Itachi counter-attacked by changing his stance slightly as well, drawing frustrated smile from her when their eyes met in a quick glance.

A slow smile lit his face, belying the intensity of his defense when she began to pivot in one direction before lunging a hard kick aimed at his mid-section. She just barely missed and his smile grew wider.

Finally, after she attempted a wildly powerful handstand kick that could have taken his head off if his reflexes had been any slower, he decided it was time to end this before one of them got hurt.

Watching her movements and following her attacks closely he was able to predict her next attack and when she launched a spinning kick out at him, he kicked out at the same time and their feet crossed in the middle.

Itachi signaled to her stop, and they both lowered their legs down at the same time.

The crowd began to clap and cheer wildly, especially the kids from the center and the martial artists from the show. The couple in front of them had put on an exhibition of the highest of caliber. The fluid motion of her style against his efficiently powerful one had blended into a stunning display of martial arts talent and beauty.

In the center of the stage, Hinata and Itachi eyes met briefly in relief before they bowed towards one another. When Hinata lifted herself up, she opened her eyes to a heart-stopping and astounding sight. It was one that if she lived to be a hundred, she would never forget it.

Itachi was still bowing before her with his arms straight at his sides and his head was lowered well beyond the level that was given for an apology. (In general, the lower the bow and the more prolonged it is, the more respect is being given or shown.)

Hinata stood there stupefied, and nearly moved to tears by the sheer amount of respect and humility he was showing her. In her culture, people did not even bow that low for that length of time before the emperor, yet he was doing it to her.

It wasn't necessary for the people in the crowd to be familiar with Japanese customs and rules for bowing for them to know, he was telling everyone there, he considered her to be his superior.

* * *

_Well, would you look at that,_ Hidan mused profoundly to himself as he watched his friend humble himself and bow to Hinata. _Even genius's can learn new things…_

"You see that, Jason and Johnny?" Hidan said to the two troublemakers beside him as he pointed at Itachi on the stage.

"Yes, Mr. Hidan?" They asked as they looked over obediently.

"Now, _that_ is how you treat a lady," he told them with an admiring grin on his face.

"What?" Johnny said with a teasing grin and a shrug, "Kick the crap out of her in a fight, and then bow to her?"

Jason snickered, knowing his friend was just trying to get a rise out of their crazy administrator. Mr. Hidan was so freaking hilarious when he got mad.

"Fuck," Hidan said under his breath and was inches away from smacking the smart-ass thirteen year old up against his head.

"Just kidding," Johnny said as he gave an almost awed look at the stage. "Actually, Mr. Itachi is even cooler than I thought he was."

"Ya, I know," Jason concurred with his friend and asked, "Mr. Hidan, do you think he would teach us how to fight like him?"

"Well, I'm sure he would, if you asked him…" he began and then exclaimed, "Hey, I know how to do this shit too, I could teach you…"

"You could?" The boys said with identical looks of shock on their faces.

"Sure," Hidan told them as he put hands on their shoulders, and began leading them toward the exit. "I've been training for most of my life…"

* * *

Itachi held his head down low before her and for the first time in his life he willingly humbled himself before another person. He had traveled the world and bowed before kings and world leaders, but he never gave them the level of respect he was showing her.

And he was doing it gladly too, because he knew in his heart if he lost her, his life would be worth less than nothing.

His eyes were grave and serious when he finally lifted his dark head and met her beautiful eyes that were glossy with unshed tears and stared into them for several emotionally charged moments.

"Itachi," she choked out past the lump in her throat when she could finally speak.

Taking a step forward, Itachi reached out for her hand and said softly so that only she could hear, "In my mind Hinata, no one is your equal."

Profoundly moved and a little shocked by the sincerity in his words, she was struck speechless and was on the verge of throwing herself into his arms and crying her heart out. She would have, except, people started piling onto the stage and circling around them.

After sharing a frustrated glance with Itachi, she sniffled and wiped her eyes and nose with the back of her hand and took a deep breath before slamming her well-worn social mask into place. She looked over at the group of people waiting to see them and gave them a polite and serene smile.

Almost all at once several women and teen-agers converged on Hinata and they began telling her how awesome she was, and asking for tips on how to defend themselves. Practically glowing over their complements she began demonstrating some different ways they could defend themselves if they were ever attacked.

Over the group of them, her eyes met Itachi's and their glance conveyed how much they both longed to be alone together.

About a half hour later people finally began to leave and without a word spoken between them Hinata felt his hand on her wrist and within a matter of seconds she was in a room with the door slammed behind them and pulled tightly into his arms.

Clinging to him fiercely and unable to stop it, deeply anguished, emotional tears poured out of her eyes, as years of humiliation, and feelings of helpless anger began to slip along with them down her face…

* * *

Driving down the strip back to their hotel, Itachi had just finished ordering a pizza over the phone to be sent to his room, when it began to vibrate with a text. After waiting until he stopped at another red light, he picked up the phone and saw it was from his brother and it read:

Interrogation starts at 7 p.m.

Itachi sighed and glanced over at Hinata who was sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat next to him. He hoped she was up to meeting his mother at dinner tonight…

**Author's Note:** Holy cow, this chapter was LONG and writing fight scenes are always tough for me. I researched the part of bowing in the Japanese culture using Wikipedia and a few other sites and I apologize if I got any part of it wrong. I had to laugh when I read how Americans go to Japan and they bow deeply to people when a simple head bob or short bow would do, lol. Anyway, this story has about 3 or 4 chapters to go so hopefully by this summer I should be able to complete it.

To all of you reading Itachi's Ghost, I am about ½ the way done with a new chapter and I should be posting it soon.

Big hugs and thanks to all who left me a review on the last chapter, I really appreciate hearing back from you!


	13. Chapter 13

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 13**

**Authors Note: **This story reached 20+K hits, so to celebrate that milestone I decided to split up this chapter. Most of next chapter is already written, I am just fine-tuning it and I should be able to post it within a few days. Sorry, no lemons, I just don't think it would work well with the story.

* * *

In the process of getting dressed after his shower, Itachi had just put on his pants and was choosing a shirt when a knock sounded on his door. Thinking it was the pizza delivery person, he pulled a couple of twenties out of his wallet and after throwing a towel over his shoulders he opened the door.

"Hinata," he said with mild surprise, since he had just dropped her by her room fifteen minutes ago to shower and change. His eyes roamed over her and saw her hair was still slightly damp and hung in long glossy waves down her back and she had changed into a navy blue tank top with gray cotton shorts and had leather sandals on her feet.

A small smile tugged his lips when he saw the predictable dusting of red on her cheeks and the way her eyes were shyly staring down at the floor.

Seeing Itachi bare-chested with only a towel around his shoulders and his damp black hair clinging seductively to his face and neck, not to mention all of the events that had happened earlier in the day made her feel utterly self-conscious. Plus, she was about to be all alone with him in his hotel room without a chaperone present.

Raising her eyes to his, she said softly, "Hello."

"Hello," he returned and his smile grew wider showing dazzling white teeth as he held the door open for her inviting her in.

As she followed him into his room her eyes roamed helplessly over his splendid backside, drinking in his graceful and strong shoulders down to his narrow hips. His body was so beautifully sculpted and tempting she was nearly aching with the need to run her hands over him and touch him.

Reluctantly her eyes continued to be drawn to him, even though she knew it was very bad manners to stare and she should turn away and allow him some privacy. Her throat went dry and she swallowed nervously as she watched him lift his arms up above his head and put his shirt on. Seeing a flash of his bare male torso that was a miracle of alluring muscle and flesh and bone, she felt an unfamiliar burning behind her eyes and a rush of warmth cascade all through her body.

From the moment she had followed him into his room, Itachi had wanted nothing more than to haul her into his arms and bury himself in the innocent sweetness of her mouth and soft skin. But caution had prevailed in his mind after the tumultuous day they had shared together and he chose to finish getting dressed instead.

Slipping his shirt on, he had felt her watching him all along, but it wasn't until he caught a glimpse of the sorely tempting heat in her eyes and saw the longing on her face in the mirror that he felt the control over his restraint begin to splinter and crack.

Closing his eyes, he released a ragged breath before slowly turning around to face her. From across the room his eyes met hers and within seconds the air between them became intimately charged with heat.

Standing there completely still, she was mesmerized by the light blazing in his dark eyes, feeling like she was about to reach sensory overload; her cheeks flushed pink and she nibbled on her bottom lip.

"Is it alright if…I touch you?" she asked hesitantly as awakening desire won out over shyness.

Itachi closed his eyes as if in pain before looking at her steadily, "I don't think that would be a good idea." That was an understatement of epic proportions in his mind.

"You're probably right…" she said almost inaudibly as color surged in her cheeks and a ruefully sigh escaped her mouth as she thought_, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to do it._

Lowering her eyes and breathing out deeply, Hinata realized she had reached her limit and was tired of the polite restraint that existed between them, and hiding from the truth.

She wanted him and wasn't afraid to let him see it any longer. Holding nothing back she lifted her eyes to his and admitted softly, "I want you…I have since I met you."

Her words and the aching look in her eyes tightened something in his chest. She was so honest and good, everything that he was not. His voice was guarded as he responded, "I want you too, but I don't want to hurt you."

The intensity of Hinata's expression softened at his kindness; as usual, he was putting her first. She took a step forward and said with trusting eyes, "You won't…I know you won't."

"How do you know for sure?" He asked seriously.

"I don't…but I am willing to risk it," she replied with a helpless smile and a shrug.

Itachi stared at her for a moment before a frustrated and resigned smile tugged at his lips.

_Oh hell_, Itachi's control finally broke and within a few long strides Hinata was in his arms and his hands were buried deep in the strands of her thick long hair. Losing himself in the silky texture of her fragrant hair and skin he knew he would probably regret this later, but he had to have her up against him now.

Bending his head, he heard a soft sound escape her mouth as he parted her lips with his and began kissing her with a stirring hunger.

Shyly reaching behind his neck, Hinata tilted her head back and opened her mouth under his. Unknowingly pressing herself against him she felt him deepen his kiss as his tongue entered her mouth, exploring and tasting her. Clinging to him she couldn't help but notice the difference in the way he was kissing her now from the previous more restrained kisses they had shared in the past.

This kiss was wildly and patently nothing like those.

His mouth and body against hers was hot and sweetly demanding. The taste, smell and feel of him against her was slowly, driving her insane and nervous at the same time with raw excitement. She began to realize this was another area he was extraordinary at; he was so very, very good at kissing…

Any more rational thought was not possible when he pulled her even closer and his mouth slowed down on hers. Long and languorous kisses began to twist her insides into sensuous knots, making her yearn and ache for something more from him.

Losing himself to the inexperienced passion from her, Itachi, jaded and cautious person that he was, knew he was taking them both to a place they should not be going. It was too soon and she was not ready for such a relationship with him. But he just couldn't leave her alone just yet, so dragging his mouth hotly over her face and breathing her in; he began caressing the soft hollows of her neck and shoulder with his lips.

Unaware of the struggle he was undergoing to stop what was happening between them, Hinata couldn't resist reaching out and tentatively sliding her hands under his shirt. With great delight and a lot of curiosity her fingers began to touch and marvel at the feel of his bare skin. Moving her hands upward toward his chest, her progress stopped when she felt the rapid beating of his heart.

It was racing as fast as her own, if not more so.

_Oh Itachi!_

Melting at the evidence that she affected him as much as he did her, it touched her when he placed his hand over hers and kept it firmly against his heart.

Hinata's eyes fluttered open and met his briefly before his mouth was buried desperately in hers again. Releasing a small delighted moan in the back of her throat, her arms slipped around his neck as she melded herself tightly against him.

A knock on the door startled them and brought them back to reality and moving away from each they both were out of breath and it was coming out in small pants.

Itachi took a long relieved lool at the door and was deeply grateful for the interruption; he had been dangerously close to losing his head completely.

"That must be the pizza I ordered," Itachi informed her as he picked up the money he had on the dresser and walked to the door to pay the delivery person.

A small embarrassed laugh escaped her as she had completely forgotten about the pizza coming or even being hungry. Her eyes caught a horrifying glimpse of her glittering eyes, swollen lips, and messy hair in the mirror. Blushing even deeper, and hastily running her fingers through the tangles in her hair, she knew anyone who saw her right now would have no doubt about what they had been doing a few minutes ago.

Feeling very uncomfortable with her appearance she hurried into his bathroom and borrowing his hairbrush she began to detangle her hair long hair out and splashed cool water on her face. A few minutes later when she came out she saw Itachi was sitting at the small table and was calmly eating pizza.

As she moved to join him, she was struck anew with shyness for behaving so forwardly, but also because of an increasing worry that their time was going to end soon. Tomorrow was their last day and she didn't know if he still wanted to see her after they left Vegas or not.

Itachi's eyes were apologetic as they met hers. "I promise, I will behave myself," he told her as he offered her a seat a few feet across from him at the small table.

"Okay," she said as she sat down and watched as he slid the pizza box toward her. She looked at him and gave him a contrite, but honest look as she added a little primly, "So will I."

"Good," Itachi acknowledged her admission of some of the blame for what had just happened and respected her for her openness and honesty, which was so completely different from him. Keeping his thoughts hidden and information to himself had been his way of life for so long he wasn't sure if he could ever change.

He picked up her hand and kissed it reverently. "I'm glad I met you," he said softly and knew he had never meant those words more than he did now.

Captivated by the warm look in his eyes, she was unable to keep a slightly wistful smile from coming over her face. "Same here… I think our meeting was kismet."

"Kismet, huh?" he said slight raise of his eyebrow. He was nothing if not logical in the way he looked at life. "I don't put much faith in fate and destiny or things like that."

"Well, I do," Hinata said quietly with a little hint of embarrassment threading her voice for being such a foolish romantic. "When I found out I was to go in my father's place to Las Vegas, I was so excited and had a sense that something good was going to happen," she admitted with a luminous smile before her smile dimmed considerably as she added, "But after I arrived here, it didn't take me long to realize my cousin and my father's employees were not going to allow me any freedom, even though I was thousands of miles away from home. So, I just kind of snapped and couldn't take it anymore and I snuck out of my hotel…" she admitted and her eyes gazed at him with a joyous wonder she just couldn't contain and confessed, "…and I met you."

"It seems that fate has been kind to both of us," Itachi said softly as he brought her hand to his lips again, partially conceding that her theory about what brought them together could possibly be true, in a highly implausible and impossible to prove sort of way.

She gave him a teasing and skeptical glance, "I know you don't believe me, but that's okay. I know what I believe."

"Fine," he said with a ghost of a smile. "How about we agree to consider our meeting to be almost kismet."

Looking at her from across the table, he felt a twinge of guilt assail him for not being completely honest with her. She was right in one respect, they _had_ met by chance that night at the Tabu. He had just been hanging out with his brother and his friends and she had just shown up. However, he knew it wasn't fate or kismet that brought her here to Las Vegas in her father's place... it had been him.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I haven't posted anything in a while because I have been in the middle of a move to another state. Anyway, I have had this scene written for quite a while now and I have a good portion of the next already done, I just need to finish it. I will try to post it as soon as possible. **(Spoiler Alert)** Also, I absolutely adored Naruto chapter 590, Itachi is the best brother ever and his openness and honesty to Sasuke was a beautiful thing.

Big hugs!


	14. Chapter 14

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 14**

* * *

The smoke twirled and danced up into the sky as he placed a few pieces of meat onto the sizzling hot grill. He tasted the marinade and nodded slightly when he noted it was the perfect blend of flavors. It wasn't long before rich and succulent smells began to assail his nostrils making him realize it had been several hours since he had last eaten.

Sasuke reached down and lowered the heat on the grill to give the meat some time to cook and was just about to head into the kitchen and find something to snack on when he saw Tenten step out onto the porch.

His mouth turned dry as his hunger was all but forgotten. Sasuke's eyes couldn't get enough of her. She was gorgeous and his mother had performed a miracle.

Her long brown hair was styled in long shiny curls over one shoulder leaving the other side of her neck exposed. Her red dress was strapless, revealing bare shoulders and a tempting amount of lightly tanned skin.

"I take it you like what you see?" Tenten mused and enjoyed the stunned expression on his face. Seeing it there made all of the last couple of hours of torture from his mother and her assistant almost worth it.

"Hmm," he agreed and within a few strides he was next to her and his dark eyes were staring straight into hers. "I would say so."

Before she could stop him his warm breath was fanning her exposed skin and his lips were nuzzling the delicate hollows neck. When he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer to him she blurted out, "What do you think you're doing?"

Sasuke's mouth began suckling her earlobe and Tenten felt her traitorous body begin to melt. _Damn him_, she mentally groaned as she wondered how he had figured out one of her weaknesses. She had always found it incredibly sexy when a guy nibbled on her ears and the base of her neck.

Sasuke began sliding his tongue over the bottom of her lobe and she felt her heart began to thud in her chest.

"Do you want me to stop?"

_Damn you, yes_, her mind shouted and it took all of her willpower to step away from him and glare up at him.

Sasuke smiled, he couldn't help it. Her brown eyes were dark with annoyance and he thought she had never looked more radiant then when she was mad at him. He took a step forward and slid his arm back around her waist and dipped his head lower. "I want to spend time alone with you tonight after dinner without my brother and Hinata…just you and me," he whispered, his piercing dark eyes were pinned on hers.

His nearness was beginning to unsettle her so she looked away, "I don't know if that is a good idea, Sasuke."

"What are you afraid of?" He challenged her with a smirk.

"Certainly not you," she shot back with a relieved grin. This kind of interplay was more comfortable for her. The way he had been looking at her and touching her a few moments ago had been so serious and intimate she didn't quite know how to handle it.

Looking over his shoulder she saw smoke was beginning to pour out of the grill and she pointed. "I think you better take care of that before it starts burning."

Sasuke immediately complied and Tenten marveled at how competent he was. It surprised her, she had no idea he was good at cooking. Glancing over at him she saw he was regarding her with a serious look on his face.

"Tenten," he said quietly. "Give me a chance to prove myself to you." Settling his hand on her shoulder his thumb moved back and forth over her bare skin as his eyes searched hers.

She turned away because the way he was looking at her was beginning to make her heart race and her resolve weaken. Was he for real or was he just playing around with her? She wasn't sure and she definitely didn't like the way her body was starting to respond to him.

But she wasn't one to run from a challenge and part of her wanted to see what he was up to.

"Fine," she conceded with a sharp look. "But I am not going to sleep with you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and his lips quirked, "I never expected you to."

"Okay, well…I think I will go see if your mother needs any help with anything," she said slowly as if she was trying to believe him before escaping inside.

Turning back to the grill with a thoughtful look on his face, Sasuke began taking the meat off and setting it on a plate. A car pulled up into the parking lot and he saw that his brother and Hinata had just arrived.

"It's your turn, brother," Sasuke muttered and did his best to hold back a smug grin as he opened the sliding glass door and stepped inside.

* * *

"Do you think I look okay?" Hinata asked him a little nervously as they entered the sleek elevator to go up to his mother's posh high rise condo she owned downtown.

Itachi's dark eyes scanned over her appreciatively, taking in the way her dark gray sheath dress was fitted elegantly over her lithe curves. Her long hair was dressed simply and hung in lengthy curls that gleamed down her back. She looked polished and beautiful and he thought she was a lot like his mother in that she had a good eye for what suited her coloring and always seemed to be dressed appropriately.

"I think you look lovely," he reassured her and squeezed Hinata's hand.

Still worried, she asked, "Do you think she will like me?"

"Of course she will," Itachi lied smoothly before muttering ominously under his breath, "she better or else."

In his mind he wished he could be more optimistic about Hinata meeting his mother tonight, but history was against him. Ever since he started dating, his mother indiscriminately hated every single woman he had brought home to her, for whole host of irrational reasons.

Though it galled him to admit it, his mother had been right about every single one one of them. The women he had brought home all ended up being completely wrong for him. Unfortunately and despite all of his intelligence, his mother usually spotted it long before he ever did.

Just before they reached the door, Itachi turned to Hinata in mid-stride and when he saw how pale her face was he reached up and lightly caressed his hand over her cheek. His eyes grew warm when a light red blush appeared on her face and she shyly bit her bottom lip as she stared up at him.

She looked so adorable he couldn't keep himself from pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her shiny hair.

"Itachi?" Hinata asked with equal parts laughter and surprise in her voice.

Not answering her immediately he continued to hold her and wish this meeting never had to happen and he and Hinata could just spend the evening alone together. He could drown himself in her light violet eyes and try to find ways to make her smile.

With her face against his shoulder, Hinata misinterpreted his hesitation about going inside. "It's because I am a Hyuuga right?"

Itachi frowned and shook his head, "No, it's not that." An apologetic light shone in his eyes as he gazed at her and smoothed her hair gently with his hand. "My mother…is a bit over-protective," he began a little hesitantly into her questioning eyes.

"Over-protective?"

He released a pent up breath of irritation, "Yes, very. So, my brother and I make allowances for her," he explained with a slightly discomfited smile. "I just wanted to warn you ahead of time, to not take the things she says or does too seriously."

"Um…okay," Hinata said as a giggle escaped her mouth. The look on his face combined with the fact that super serious Itachi and ultra cool Sasuke had a mother like that was just too funny to imagine, she couldn't help but smile at the fact.

And Itachi couldn't help but lean over and kiss that laughing smile right off of her face. Soon, what had started out as fun and light-hearted had become hot and heavy.

A few moments later, the door opened and Sasuke's amused voice alerted them they were not alone and they broke apart. "Mom has a guest room inside if you guys want to use it."

"Sasuke, what is going on out there? Has your brother arrived yet?" Mikoto's voice rang out in the hallway.

Itachi stepped forward and partially shielded Hinata when he saw his mother in the doorway, in order to give her a moment to compose herself.

"Itachi! It's so good to see you!" His mother gushed as she wrapped him in a giant, smothering hug. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, Mother," Itachi responded in a somewhat strangled voice as his mother's grip around him started to feel like a tightly wrapped tourniquet.

With a laugh she released him. "Liar, you never miss me," his mother teased using a voice that clearly showed she didn't mean it.

Itachi gave his mother a fond smile as his eyes searched her face, "You look well, Mother."

"Thanks dear," she responded easily before noting with her sharp eyes he was looking better and happier then she had ever seen him in probably his whole life.

Could it be her son was finally in love? Her curiosity about his companion began to build almost to a breaking point, but she did her best to hide it as she responded calmly, "You look well too. Is there a special reason why?"

Itachi mentally groaned while watching his mother turn her sharp eyes in Hinata's direction, who was standing slightly behind him with her head down and was staring at the floor.

Mikoto wore a delighted smile on her face as she saw how protective Itachi was acting towards his date. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

With a small sigh knowing he could no longer put off the inevitable, he placed his hand on Hinata's slightly trembling elbow and began the introductions. "Mother, I would like to introduce you to Hinata…Hyuuga."

_Hyuuga!_

Mikoto's eyes rounded in shock as she watched the young woman beside her son lift her head and she immediately recognized those famous violet eyes of hers. In Japan, there was only one family she knew of that had eyes of that color in it.

Holding back an incredulous and shocked laugh, she shot a sharp questioning look in her son's direction.

Itachi met her eyes directly and held her gaze without moving a muscle, before purposely glancing in Hinata's direction, reminding his mother of her manners.

Biting back a sharp retort, Mikoto immediately complied and put on her most welcoming smile as if the last few tense moments never happened.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Hyuuga," she said politely as she held out a gracious hand.

Pulling herself together in desperation Hinata gave Itachi's mother a proper bow, before taking the extended hand. "The pleasure is mine, ma'am. I have seen you before at several gatherings in Japan over the years and have wanted to meet you, but no one would ever introduce me to you," she admitted with a shy smile.

Slightly disarmed by the young woman's candor and honest eyes, Mikoto didn't know what to make of her. Most of the Hyuugas she had ever met were stuck-up hypocrites and disingenuous as hell. They were the kind of people you could blatantly insult them to their faces, but they were too dense and dignified to believe they were actually being mocked.

The alarming thought then struck her as she watched her son tighten his grip protectively on Hinata's elbow; those horrid people could end up one day being her in-laws!

Shutting her eyes in pain at the thought, Mikoto quickly pasted on a smile and responded politely, "You are too kind. Please come inside and make yourself comfortable."

Planting on an equally refined smile, Hinata bowed again and thanked her hostess and with trembling hands began taking off her shoes and putting on a pair of house slippers that were near the door.

"Everything will be fine," Itachi promised softly near her ear as he reached down to take off his shoes.

"I'm sorry Itachi, but your mom doesn't like me," she whispered back to him.

Not even bothering to lie to her, he just laid his hand on her shoulder and said quietly, "She will come around, just give her time."

* * *

While beating a determined path to the liquor cabinet, Mikoto shot a shrewd and disgusted glance over at her youngest son and Tenten. "I spent all day with the two of you and not one of you bothered to let me know her last name? It was just Hinata this or Hinata that? Uhg!"

"You never asked me what it was," Sasuke said looking unrepentant and more than a little smug.

Tenten at least had the grace to blush before apologizing in a gradually shrinking voice, "Sorry Mrs. Uchiha. I didn't know how you would handle the news, so I thought I would wait and see how it all went down."

Mikoto's eyes were scathing and a tiny bit amused at how afraid they were of her as she watched them escape quickly to the living room and plop down on her white couch.

Steady hands began pouring the amber-colored liquid into the glass belying the state of her less than calm mind. Mikoto's frazzled thoughts immediately jumped to her husband and how he was going to take the news about his son and Hiashi Hyuuga's daughter. A tortured groan escaped her as she could think of no possible way Fugaku would ever accept any Hyuuga into the family. His hatred of his rival was just too deep and irrational. He had been trying to put the man out of business for years.

And she knew why…it was all because of her and a foolish misunderstanding in the past.

_Idiot_, she muttered to her absent husband and poured herself another drink.

* * *

The atmosphere around the living room was tense and silent as everyone seemed to be deep within their own thoughts. Itachi and Sasuke were wary as their eyes were glued on their mother as they waited to see her next move.

Mikoto's eyes were firmly on the drink in her hands and she was staring at it like it was her long-lost, best friend. In her mind she was debating whether or not to get really drunk and wait and see how the evening goes or to stay sober and get to the bottom of what her son was up to.

A long sigh escaped her when she couldn't decide and she ended up taking a long sip of the ice cold brandy to calm herself.

Itachi and Sasuke shared an alarmed glance, they both knew their mother only drank like that when she was really, really worked up about something.

Sai entered the living room and saw everyone was just sitting around and the atmosphere was quiet and somber as a funeral.

_Damn_, he swore to himself and was angry for being late. _Stupid traffic!_ He would have given anything to have seen Mikoto's reaction to Itachi bringing a Hyuuga into her home as a date.

"Hi, Mrs. U," the driver said in greeting, his words sounding unnaturally loud and cheerful in the too quiet room.

As though waking from a deep slumber, Mikoto's eyes snapped opened wide before setting her glass down on the table next to her. "Oh hello Sai," she responded with an almost relieved greeting.

Itachi's eyes shot skyward in annoyance before glaring over at Sai. This was all they needed to make the evening complete. Their obnoxious driver was like another son to his mother and he had a way of encouraging her to act even more outrageous in situations like this.

"Sai, why don't you check on dinner and see how much longer before it is ready," Itachi ordered not even giving him a chance to sit down.

"Sit down Sai," Mikoto countered with a negligent wave of her hand towards the seat next to Tenten. "I am sure my assistant; Sarah has everything well under control."

Sai hid a smug smile as he readily complied and sat down really close to Tenten. When she scooted away from him he inched even closer to her. Out of the corner of his eye he glanced over toward his friend to see if he was watching.

Sasuke stood up and yanked his _friend_ by the hand off of the couch. "Come with me; let's check to see if I shut off the grill."

As they watched them leave, Hinata eyes followed Itachi's brother speculatively.

Tenten laughed as she watched her, "I know it surprised me too. I just can't picture Sasuke cooking food, he doesn't seem the type."

"Sasuke started doing it years ago, when he found out his brother didn't enjoy doing it," Mikoto shared a little wistfully. "He is actually quite good at it too."

After that the conversation dried up again until a resolute look came into Mikoto's eyes and she turned them onto Hinata with a deceptively charming smile gracing her perfectly made-up face. "Tell me, dear, how is your father doing?"

Momentarily shocked Itachi's mom was asking about _him_, she could only stare back. Luckily her years of dealing with difficult family members and her father made her sit up taller and not shrink down into the back of the couch as she answered her. "He is fine, ma'am. He stayed in Japan and sent my cousin, Neji and me to represent our family here at the conference."

"Hmm, I see…" the older woman responded while tapping a well-manicured finger against her lower jaw. "Did your Uncle Ko come as well?"

"Yes ma'am, he did."

Mikoto's face lit up with a grin as though she was reminded of something funny. Leaning forward she shared, "Your uncle is such a hoot. He always says whatever the hell he wants and doesn't care if he offends anyone."

With a slightly abashed smile, Hinata was forced to agree, "Uncle Ko is certainly different."

"He certainly is," Mikoto agreed while giving Hinata a carefully veiled, yet hostile glance. "But I'm afraid I don't care much for the rest of your family. A more useless bunch of hypocrites I have yet to meet."

Heart racing and feeling like she was going to faint, Hinata met her eyes and saw that present company was most certainly included in that statement. Unable to respond she lowered her head and placed her hands firmly in her lap.

Tenten shot an anxious glance over at Hinata and felt like giving Mrs. Uchiha a piece of her mind. How could she not see that Hinata was nothing like the rest of her horrible family?

Itachi's eyes were cold and admonishing as he met his mother's gaze. "Present company excluded, right?"

Reading his warning loud and clear, his mother immediately smiled graciously and leaned forward and touched Hinata's hands. "I'm sorry, dear; of course I wasn't referring to you."

Looking into Mikoto's dark eyes, Hinata could see not only was she being tested and watched very closely, but that the other woman was actually truly sorry. "It's alright, Mrs. Uchiha, no offense was taken," she responded softly with a somewhat sad smile. "I don't get along with most of my family either."

Mikoto turned away sharply and had to forcibly restrain herself from wrapping the poor dear in her arms and begging her for forgiveness. The young woman beside her son was more like a girl than a woman and she had the sweetest disposition of anyone she had ever met. But was she for real? And if she was… could she handle someone like Itachi. The poor girl looked to be afraid of her own shadow.

"Mikoto," Sarah called out from the dining room. "The caterers are ready to serve dinner now."

"Thank you," Mikoto responded with a grateful smile as she stood up and looked over at Hinata and Tenten. "I will meet you in the dining room in a few minutes. Please make yourselves comfortable until then," she said before grandly exiting the room.

On the way to her bedroom, Mikoto's mind was in a whirl. What was Itachi thinking, bringing a Hyuuga home to her? Was it really as simple as it all seemed that he actually had feelings for the girl or was something else going on?

One thing was for certain, she was going to find out before the evening was over.

**Author's Note:** This chapter was getting too long so I had to split it in half. I have been struggling with it for a while now, so I figured I might as well post something so you all would know I was still working on it. Big hugs to everyone who has PM'd me recently or left me a review on one of my stories. THANKS!

The next chapter is almost completed, but it is still not ready to be posted. I know some of you have questions and I promise they will be answered soon or at least by the end of the story:)


	15. Chapter 15

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Ch 15**

* * *

Itachi's hand around hers was warm and comforting as he led her with the others into the dining room. He was about to settle her into a nicely positioned chair at the table between himself and Tenten when his mother outmaneuvered him and pulled her over to a chair next to hers at the head of the table.

"Tenten, come sit by me," she said with a soft smile as she gestured to the seat on the other side of her. "This way I will get a chance to get to know both of you girls better."

Attempting to take the seat next to Hinata Itachi's eyes flashed when his brother plopped down before him with an undeniably amused look that clearly told him he was enjoying this.

"Traitor," Itachi muttered as he took the seat at the end of the table across from his mother.

With a grin of anticipation, Sai took the vacant seat next to Tenten and ignored the dark looks of warning Sasuke sent way that warned him to behave himself.

Highly uncomfortable and not knowing what to do next or say, Hinata took a long sip of her wine and a quick glance over at Itachi showed her he was watching her with a concerned look on his face. She immediately sent him a small smile to reassure him she was fine.

Staff members began to dish up their plates and the awkward sound of forks clinking against fine china dominated the room for several long moments.

Mikoto glanced at Hinata who was in the process of nervously sipping her glass of wine as she swirled linguine pasta noodles aimlessly around her fork on her plate. A small smile touched her lips as she met her oldest son's dark eyes from across the room.

_Let the games begin._

The two people seated at the head and end of the table waited to see who would strike first. Itachi knew his mother was going to interrogate him and Hinata so he decided to go on the offensive first.

"How did it go in Italy, Mother?" Itachi asked in a politely conversational tone.

Mikoto's lips turned down slightly, her trip to Italy had been an absolute nightmare. They had just released a highly organic product line a few weeks ago and it had been doing really well until an independent source started leaking false lab reports to news agencies that stated their products contained arsenic and other poisonous substances. Even after proving the reports were false and slapping a hefty lawsuit on the company and the lab that produced it, it still didn't matter in the eyes of the public. The damage had already been done, sales of their new product line were tanking badly.

"Oh same old, same old, mingle with business associates, deal with crisis situations…everything is going fine," she lied airily with a nonchalant wave of her well manicured hand.

"How much money did you lose?" her son asked pointedly, his shrewd eyes not believing her for a second.

Mikoto shrugged and hid her irritation at her too sharp son and realized she was never going to get anywhere with him using her current tactic. Itachi was too good at deflecting and then turning it back on to her. It was time to direct her attention elsewhere.

"So, Hinata," she asked politely with a highly interested smile directed at the young woman next to her. "How did you and my son meet? Was it at the conference?"

Surprised that Itachi's mom was now talking to her after ignoring her for the past twenty minutes, Hinata quickly swallowed the food she had been chewing. "We met only a few days ago…at a bar on my first night in town," she admitted quietly with a rueful smile. It felt strange to her admitting she had met someone in a bar, almost like she was talking about someone else.

Mikoto's eyebrows lifted skeptically, "I am surprised your father allowed you so much freedom."

Hinata blushed and then released a sigh before responding, "He didn't, I snuck out of my hotel room."

Mikoto felt a small bit of compassion for the sheltered young woman and glanced over at Tenten who was watching her friend closely with protective eyes. It was becoming increasingly clear to her that this young woman was all wrong for her son, she was far too innocent and kind. Itachi would probably tire of her within a month or so.

"I don't think your father would appreciate your relationship with my son," Mikoto admonished before directing a cool at her eldest son. As her eyes watched him closely she had a feeling there was probably more to this then they had just met at a bar. Itachi never did anything without a reason behind it.

Sai was growing bored so he decided to stir things up a bit by mentioning in an off-hand voice to Itachi. "Did your mother tell you who she ran into while she was in Italy?"

Mikoto choked back a laugh and felt like hugging her adopted son as she figured out who he was alluding to, she mentally chortled. This was the perfect straw to grasp at to show Hinata just how unsuitable her son was for her.

"Who was it?" Itachi asked his mother warily and could tell by the look on her face he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Marissa."

Mentally cringing while remembering the last time he saw her. Itachi grimly thought back how they had been involved in a long distance relationship for a few months before he broke up with her about a year ago. The break up had gone so badly Marissa had taken off her stiletto heels and tried to stab him with one of them. Some of the waiters in the restaurant they were in had to wrestle her to the ground and they called the police on her. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to keep the incident quiet and it had ended up in the news for a few long months.

"That is one psychotic bitch," Sai snickered under his breath to Sasuke who cleared his throat to keep from laughing at the uncomfortable look on his brother's face. His mother was in rare form tonight and he leaned over to Itachi and mused dryly, "Did you forget her birthday or something?"

Itachi just shrugged and shot his mother a patient look who in turn just smiled back innocently at him.

"Anyway, Marissa said she finally got her Master's Degree and just landed a cushy deal with a top cosmetics company in London," Mikoto continued with an oblivious laugh and then chuckled to herself as she observed dryly out loud to no one in particular. "Leave it up to my son, Itachi, to actually find a model for a girlfriend that is not only beautiful, but intelligent."

"And crazy," Sai coughed while smothering a laugh.

Itachi chose to ignore his driver and gave Hinata a reassuring look before he responded to his meddlesome parent with an edge in his voice, "She is no longer my girlfriend, Mother. We broke up over a year ago."

"Oh really, because she wants you to call her…" Mikoto said with a look in her eyes that pleaded complete ignorance of those details.

After taking a sip of her wine she complained, "Sheesh Itachi, you have had so many girlfriends over the years, how in the world am I to keep track of them all?"

"There won't be anymore, Mother," Itachi stated in a quietly final voice as he kept his eyes firmly on Hinata. "I forgot all of them the moment I met Hinata."

Looking over her nearly empty wine glass, Hinata's stunned eyes met his across the dinner table. Like the sun coming out behind dark clouds a warm smile touched his lips and his eyes asked her to be patient, this would all be over soon.

Tenderness was in her smile as she lifted her glass to him a silent salute, unaware her heart was shining in her eyes as she did so.

Gaping in shock, Mikoto's mouth formed into a shocked circle as she witnessed the exchange between the couple and couldn't help but notice how close and intimate it was. It was like they were the only two people in the room.

The look on her son's face and the girl beside her had been so full of love it humbled her. Feeling incredible foolish she realized she had read the situation all wrong from the start.

Shaking her head, Mikoto picked her glass and tossed back the contents in one quick drink and wondered if life could get any stranger. Beside her hand her phone vibrated. Picking it up she saw it was from her husband, she answered it in relief and stepped out of the room for some privacy.

A few minutes later when she came back into the room she was pale and irate.

Knowing there was only one person who could put her in such a state, Sasuke asked dryly, "What did father do now?"

Mikoto hesitated and glanced over at Hinata and Tenten, preferring not to speak about business in front of the guests. "I need to talk to you Itachi," she told him in a somewhat frazzled voice.

A weary light passed over his eyes before he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "It's alright, mother. You may speak in front of them."

Mikoto's lips tightened at the awkward position he was putting her in, her eyes slid over in Hinata's direction before she released a sigh and announced in strident tones, "Your father is in New York and is preparing to merge our company with Gaara Corporation."

A stunned silence gripped the room as all eyes turned to Hinata, knowing she was the one most affected by this announcement. Everyone at the table knew the merger was being done with one goal in mind and that was to destroy her father's company.

With dangerously flashing eyes, Itachi picked up his phone and called his assistant, Shino. "Get me the first flight out to New York," he ordered and then hung up. His eyes as they alighted on Hinata were no longer angry, instead they were filled with worry because he knew it was time to tell her everything.

**Author's Note:** I am really struggling with writing right now, but I felt it was time to post something to get me started again. The next chapter is almost finished, so if I get some time I should be able to post it within a few days. Thanks to everyone who has posted a review lately or written to me:)


	16. Chapter 16

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 16**

* * *

**AN: **I posted two chapters in one day…thanks for reading. I hope to finish this story very soon:)

The backseat of the limo was dark and was only illuminated by streetlights as they passed by them and the faint glow of light from Itachi's cell phone as he had it on speakerphone. His assistant, Shino, was in the process of finalizing arrangements and was relaying all of the information he knew about the proposed merger.

With her hand resting in his, Hinata could feel him tense up and she watched as a muscle clenched along his jaw as he listened to more information about how his father had betrayed him. In the near dark she saw something dangerous pass over his eyes and almost shivered before looking away from him. She wouldn't want to be in Mr. Uchiha's shoes right now.

Itachi finally hung up the phone after listening to Shino promise to gather his things at the hotel and meet him at the airport.

As she watched him set his phone off to the side the time seemed to tick by so slowly Hinata could have counted a hundred heartbeats as she waited patiently for him to say something to her. A quick glance over at him told her he appeared to be deep in thought as though he was rehearsing something in his mind.

Amidst the sound and the feel of the car moving, a long moment of silence hung heavy between them. With a pensive sigh he leaned his face against the side of her head.

"Tell me you don't think I had anything to do with this merger?" He asked her in a somber, yet tense voice.

Hinata frowned slightly before shaking her head and wrapping her hand around his tighter. "No, of course not. I've known for a long time our fathers don't get along. I don't believe you had anything to do with it."

"You are right, in fact, I thought I had stopped the merger from happening a few months ago," he admitted quietly before sitting himself up and looking over at her with apologetic eyes, the elegant creases under his eyes deepened. "I have never tried to put your father out of business. My father has an irrational hatred of yours that is most likely due to something my mother did in the past. The three of them attended school together and they all used to be friends. I have no idea what caused the estrangement between them because my parents refuse to talk about it. So, for the past several years I have done the only thing I could, which was to keep my father from doing something stupid that would ruin all of us."

As she listened to him, she saw the truth in his eyes and how bitterly frustrated he was with the whole situation. Her eyes darkened somberly even as the realization hit her that he had been inadvertently watching over her even though he didn't even know her. Hinata looked over at him with a soft smile on her face. "Even when you didn't know me you were still watching over me."

Hinata's smile dimmed when she noted a slightly guilty look sweep over his face before his eyes met hers in the semi-darkness of the backseat.

"I did know who you were," he admitted reluctantly. His eyes contained a look in them that told her he knew what he was going to say next was going to hurt her.

"You did?" She asked while trying to quench the freezing feeling that was creeping over her heart.

He nodded quietly before picking up her hand and running his thumb lightly over it as though he was buying himself time and gathering his thoughts.

A frown slid over her face as she watched him closely.

Itachi released a deeply held breath before answering her. "We didn't meet for the first time at the Tabu. I saw you a few years ago while I was visiting one of my old instructors in Tokyo at the university. You were still a student then and I helped you pick up some papers you had dropped after someone had run into you in the hallway."

Hinata looked puzzled as she looked away from him and tried to remember the incident, especially since things like he had just described had occurred to her on a rather frequent basis while she had attended college. For most of her life she had always been clumsy.

She shook her head, "I'm sorry I don't remember it."

"I am not surprised, because you never looked me at me as I handed you the papers. You simply thanked me and bowed before running off," he said while his hand reached out and gently tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear.

Hinata watched him and knew there was more to it, than what he had admitted to her. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, her eyes asked him to continue.

"A few moments after you had left, I was watching out a window and I saw you climb into the back of a car and I recognized your cousin, Neji Hyuuga. After my instructor also told me your name... I knew you were Hiashi's Hyuuga's daughter."

oooOOOooo

"_I knew you were Hiashi Hyuuga's daughter."_

As she heard him say those words and her mind absorbed the meaning behind them a painful numbness began to take hold of her as she felt herself edge away from him slightly and remove her hand out of his. A sliver of distrust began to develop within her as she looked over at him and waited for him to tell her the rest of his story.

As he watched her move away from him it pained him to see the cautious look in her eyes after she glanced at him. Seeing it made him wish he never would have never admitted the truth to her and let her think for the rest of their lives they had met by chance the other night. But, he didn't want any lies between them and he certainly didn't want to end up in a relationship just like the one his parents had.

His lips were tight as he pressed on. "Some time went by and an idea began to grow in my mind and I began to see you as a solution to fix the problem between our families."

A sense of foreboding came over her as she had a feeling what he was going to say next, crumbling all of her dreams of the two of them into pieces.

"A year ago, I contacted your father and requested a marriage meeting between the two of us, but he denied it and threatened legal action against me if I ever tried to contact you again."

Hinata swallowed and was unsurprised that he had requested to meet with her, but the fact that her father had denied him came as a shock to her. She knew her father was practically in awe of Itachi, as he was everything he had ever wanted in a son. So why would he not want him as a son-in-law? Her eyes were filled with questions as she looked over at Itachi.

Lifting his eyes to hers he met and held them for several moments before he answered her. She was back to shrinking away from him, with that painful look of doubt and mistrust in her eyes and he hated the fact that he was the one who had made her look like that. Silently he reached for her hand and his heart sank as he watched her slide it away from him.

A harsh sigh escaped him as he set his hands on him lap. "He didn't give me a reason, but after some doing some investigating…" he said and saw by her expression that she understood he had spies in her father's business, just as they had spies in his. "…I found out that you were already engaged to be married."

Hinata's sharp intake of breath confirmed she was unaware of that fact. "I am? To who?" She choked out when she could find her voice again. Anger against her father for keeping such a thing from her began to simmer slowly within her just below the surface making her feel like she was going to burst.

"Your cousin, Neji," Itachi told her somberly and he longed to wrap his arms around her as he watched her stiffen defensively as she stared out through the darkened glass in front of her. "Your father has promised to give him his shares and yours and let him take over the company after he retires in a few years."

A bitter laugh escaped her as she thought of all of the times her cousin refused to let her go places and played watchdog over her. He wasn't looking out for her; he was worried about his own interests! Even as she thought it, she knew it wasn't entirely true, but it all just hurt so much, she didn't know what to think or believe anymore. She never expected Neji would be someone who would keep something like this from her.

A bump in the car shifted them as Itachi looked out and could see they were getting closer to the airport. He needed to tell her the rest of it and hoped they would be able to go forward. He had plans to start his life over and they very much included her.

"After I found out that you were to be married soon, I looked for an opportunity where we could meet and I saw a request from my parents asking me if I could go to Las Vegas in their stead," he continued and when his eyes met hers he saw that her eyes were stormy and emotional but they were also pleading with him to tell her everything.

He paused for a moment because the next part he was about to tell her wasn't something he was very proud about. "A few weeks before the conference was to begin, I contacted a main supplier that deals with both of our companies and… I applied pressure on him to delay a large shipment of goods to your company, so that your father would be forced to stay in Japan and deal with it. I was hoping he would send you in his place to the conference here in Vegas and I was correct in my assumption," he concluded with a slight shrug as his eyes continued to watch her closely.

A shattered breath escaped her as she looked at him with suspicion lurking in her eyes. "So, when we met at the Tabu, did you plan that too?" Hinata asked him in a slightly shaky voice.

"No," he rasped out vehemently. Everything that had happened after they met had been a shock to him. After that night his previous plans were practically forgotten. He no longer wanted to marry her because she was a solution to his problem – he wanted to marry her because he didn't want to live the rest of his life without her.

Hinata searched his eyes and didn't stop him when he picked up her hand and reverently placed a kiss on it before closing his eyes and sliding her hand against his cheek. She now knew what he had meant about their meeting being "almost kismet." The knowledge made her feel uncomfortably bittersweet, she didn't want to think their whole relationship was a lie, only some of it was and that was still painful enough for her to deal with.

He felt the car going over a speed bump and could see they were getting closer to the terminal. A text from Shino just told him they would be flying out soon. They were running out of time, he glanced at his watch and then at her.

He recognized the look in her eyes and her distant body language and all of it put together was telling him goodbye as plainly as if she was speaking the words out loud. The only thing that told him she was struggling with her emotions was her tightly clenched fists and the way her bottom lip was trembling.

Something tightly wound inside of him felt like breaking to the point he no longer cared about his company or his father. They could both fall off a cliff for all they mattered to him right now.

Hinata felt something come alive in her as she felt his hard hands drag her desperately her into his arms. Raw tears began to form behind her eyes at the thought of leaving him. Her eyes were wet and full of emotion as she stared lovingly into his face and hoped this was not the last time she saw him. Her hands wandered in adoration over the perfection of his face that even now never stopped dazzling her.

"I'm sorry for deceiving you; will you give me another chance?" Itachi asked her, his breath was on her face and his tempting mouth was achingly close to hers.

Every fiber in her being begged her to say yes as she looked into his dark and anxious eyes.

A tear slipped over her face as the realization struck her that he had too much power over her; she was too fascinated by him and had been ever since the moment she met him. She was afraid she would believe anything he told her and that fear held her back. Warning bells began to sound within her and this time she listened to them. Her eyes were firm and a little wary as she looked up at him and stuttered, "I-I don't know…I need time to think."

Itachi swore under his breath when the limo stopped and he saw some members of the press were waiting for them and Shino was also out there waiting for him.

"Goodbye Itachi," Hinata said in a hollow voice with a tear rolling down her face, she turned away from and just wished he would leave so he wouldn't see her cry.

Itachi's eyes remained calm, belying the vice that was beginning to clench tightly around his heart at the thought of leaving her. "l will wait for you to call me."

His voice sounded so painfully alone, Hinata could only nod as she kept her hands folded tightly in her lap to keep them from reaching out to him. Her tears began to flow unchecked as she watched him open the door and was startled by flashes of light. Itachi quickly closed the car door behind him and stepped away from the car.

Reporters began to flood around him, shouting out a flurry of questions as they looked speculatively over at the limo.

"Mr. Uchiha? Itachi?"

"Is it true you are dating Hinata Hyuuga?"

"Is that her in the car with you?" One reporter asked and was dismayed by the dark tinted windows that kept him from being able to see clearly who was in the back seat of the car. Hinata shrank back in the seat when she saw a few reporters began peering through the side window.

Itachi waved them off and began to walk away with his assistant.

"Don't worry, Hinata, they can't see you," Sai told her with a reassuring smile while pushing the button to roll down the privacy window between them. "I will take you back to your hotel."

"Thank you, Sai," she said gratefully while her eyes followed Itachi as she watched him walk through the double doors into the airport and out of her life.

**Author's Note:** I have had most of this written for a few months now, but I haven't had the time to work on it. Thanks guys for still reading this and reviewing. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!


	17. Chapter 17

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 17**

* * *

Staring out of the airplane window with unseeing eyes, Hinata watched as the runway began to draw closer until the unmistakable feeling of the wheels touching down on solid land brought her back to reality once again. She was home again, in Japan. Her magical time in Las Vegas was over and now she could only feel numb.

She had come back alone at her father's request, Neji was to stay in Vegas one more night for appearances sake and show the business world that everything was fine. Officially the merger was not affecting Hyuuga Corporation at all.

Hinata released a long, pent up sigh as she knew unofficially her father's company was dealing with a crisis, one that some people considered her to be partially responsible for. Her violet eyes darkened as she thought about the hateful text her aunt had sent earlier in the day asking her if her sordid little romance with Uchiha had been worth it now that all of them were going to be poor.

A small catch of her breath as she remembered the night she met Itachi and the way his dark eyes had looked at her, and all they had been through together, she couldn't lie to herself as she admitted deep down it had all been worth it.

For better or worse she had fallen in love and at least for her there could be no going back to the way things used to be in her life. She was no longer the naïve child she used to be, it was almost as if she had grown up during the time she had been away. Nothing about her felt the same, especially when it came to trusting people.

Neji and her father had been keeping secrets behind her back. When it came to her father, she expected him to do things like that. But with her beloved cousin, his actions really hurt her. She expected better from him.

Before she left Vegas, Hinata confronted him and felt a little better when she realized in his own way, Neji had been looking out for her. He said he would rather have her married to him than to allow her father to marry her off to some business acquaintance to seal a deal.

Her hand began to grip the handle of her carryon bag tightly as a simmering feeling of helplessness began to grow in her. She was getting more than a little tired of people treating her like she was fragile princess who couldn't take care of herself. As she walked through the airport towards her car she came to a decision, from now on she would be in charge of her own life, no matter what.

Her resolve was tested shortly when a large group of Japanese reporters began heading in her direction, yelling out questions about the merger and her relationship with Itachi. Taking a deep breath she decided to stand her ground and answer questions from them, but was kept from doing it when her father's men blocked them and began herding her towards the limo outside.

When the door was opened to the limo she had been expecting to see her father's assistant and was surprised to see her father in the back seat.

Tensing up, Hinata's eyes quickly assessed his mood and determined he did not appear to be angry with her. In fact, he almost seemed to be strangely calm to her.

Before entering the car, Hinata bowed her head in respect before and offered a polite greeting, "Hello, father."

Silence greeted her. Frowning slightly, Hinata slid into the seat next to his and waited for him to speak.

The minutes ticked by before she felt the car begin to drive away. It took a few extra minutes because of the reporters who were swarming around their car had to be removed by security.

Her father's eyes were filled with disgust as he looked at all of them through the darkly tinted windows.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Hinata?"

Lifting her chin slightly, she met her father's eyes squarely for probably the first time in her life, "I don't feel I have done anything wrong, father." Her hands were folded demurely in her lap and she was trying her hardest to appear calm.

Her father raised an elegant eyebrow at her statement as well as noting how unusually brave his normally timid daughter was acting for once.

"Well, there would be many others who would disagree with you," Hiashi stated coolly.

"I know," Hinata admitted and couldn't stop the slight blush of shame from coming over her cheeks. Her father was a proud man and it didn't please her at all to put him through all of this.

She was going to apologize to him but something within her made her hold back, so she held her tongue.

Hiashi watched his daughter carefully and he liked what he was seeing. Gone was the shrinking violet who apologized for every small thing, she was starting to finally grow up.

"Well, regardless of who is to blame about the merger, I expect you to fix it, Hinata."

"Yes father," she replied automatically. Outwardly she still appeared calm, but inside she was completely shocked at how her father was acting. All during the flight home she been dreading seeing him again and had been expecting him to yell at her and blame her for everything, but he wasn't doing any of those things and it was throwing her off balance.

The car pulled up to the office and her father opened the door. "The board meets in five hours, I expect you to be ready."

At the enormity of the task he had given her Hinata momentarily closed her eyes before steeling herself for the work ahead of her. After releasing a huff of breath she took out her cell phone and began making calls to her assistants to bring all of the information and reports they had on the Gaara Corporation and have it ready on her desk. There was no time to waste.

* * *

A quick glance at the clock showed it had been almost 23 hours since he left her and each hour was worse than the previous one. During that time hardly anything had been accomplished, the merger was still going forward tomorrow and the sad part about all of this was he had a pretty good idea how to fix the problem.

He figured it all out after he tried to call Gaara and found that he and his sister, Temari, were both unavailable, and Kankuro had been left in charge of the corporation. Over a month ago Gaara had given him his word he would not accept any of his father's deals or offers to merge and he believed him. The problem was no one could get ahold of him. He tried to call his cell phone, but it was either shut off or he was somewhere out of range.

And Temari, he learned, was having problems with her boyfriend, Shikamaru, so they went off on a vacation together and her phone was also turned off. That left Kankuro free to do as he pleased and he was always eager to prove he could run the company as well as his younger brother could.

Itachi shook his head in disgust as he knew his father must have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

His cell phone began to ring and he saw it was his brother. Putting it on speaker phone he answered it.

"I take it the merger is still going to take place," Sasuke guessed by the tired sound of his brother's greeting.

"Yes," Itachi sighed and leaned forward and rested his chin in his hand. "I have explored every legal option at my disposal and it appears father has been planning this for a while and had only been waiting for the right time to act."

Sasuke frowned and thought for a moment before he asked, "Did you try to call Gaara?"

Itachi closed his eyes in weariness, "He was the first person I tried to contact after I arrived in New York. Apparently he left Kankuro in charge while he and Temari are off on separate vacations with their cell phones off."

"What about your informants over in Japan?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Itachi breathed out wearily and ran his hand through his hair in frutstration. "None of them know where he is either and Kankuro refuses to speak to anyone but father."

"What about mother, has she been able to get through to father?"

"She has tried to reason with him, but he won't listen. They have argued so much that mother is considering contacting a divorce lawyer."

Sasuke released a small breath and nodded sadly. Both of them knew their parent's relationship had been on shaky ground for years. Their parents only had stayed together for the sake of the business and because staying married and living on different continents had been convenient for them.

"She must be really pissed off at him to go to such lengths," Sasuke guessed quietly.

"Well, she isn't the only one," Itachi added coolly. He had tried to talk to his father and put a stop to the merger, but his father had refused to even see him. After this business was done, he was planning to resign.

"Sasuke, when can you come to New York?"

Walking through the hotel, Sasuke nearly stopped his forward progress completely and was rendered speechless by the tone of his perfect brother's voice.

Feeling a little emotional because it was the first time Itachi had ever needed his help, Sasuke cleared his throat. "I am flying out tomorrow morning."

"Good," his brother said, clearly relieved by the news. "I will see you tomorrow then."

"Okay, bye brother."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am so sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. I have had half of this chapter written for some time now, but I wasn't able to finish it. I am not going to promise anything, but I am going to try my best to get Chapter 18 posted within a few days. The last couple of reviews for this story gave me the push I needed to get working on it again. Thanks.


	18. Chapter 18

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 18**

* * *

**AN: **I know it's shocking really, but here is another chapter for all of you:) I hope you like it.

* * *

Reaching back tiredly, Hinata massaged her aching shoulders with her hand. The meeting was about to start soon and she and her team of assistants had been researching frantically everything they could about Gaara Corporation. They didn't have much information to work with, but it would have to be good enough. She was out of time.

As she organized her reports for the meeting her eyes drifted over in the direction of her cell phone and part of her longed to hear Itachi's voice and ask him for advice. Shaking her head she knew hearing his calm beautiful voice right now would only cause a flood of emotions to come out of her that she was trying desperately to keep buried for the time being.

* * *

After straightening her dove-gray jacket Hinata released a small nervous breath before opening the door to the main conference room. As she moved to her seat to the right of her father she felt her aunt's critical eyes were on her.

She deliberately took her time settling in and placing her reports neatly in front of her before she looked across the table and greeted her politely, "Good evening, Aunt Yui."

"Hinata," her aunt returned with a curt nod of her head.

After greeting her father and noting the tension in his eyes as he looked at the screens on the wall showing the global stock markets she felt her heart clench a little as nerves began to creep into her psyche. Her eyes looked over at the screens and saw with dismay her father's company had already declined in value over fifteen percent in just one day.

On the sidelines, the assistants sat along the wall and they were whispering among themselves while darting anxious glances over at the screens. They were afraid that if the merger went through they all might be out of a job soon.

One of the assistants finally made the video connection with Las Vegas, bringing up Neji and Uncle Ko onto the screen. Both of them had voting privileges as board members and their presence was necessary at this meeting.

"Hey Hiashi, you're missing all of the fun here," Uncle Ko's cheerful greeting caused a slight smile to come to Hinata's face as it was so typical of her uncle to ignore the atmosphere of the room. She watched as he raised his fruity drink with a cute umbrella in it toasting all of them in the room.

Hiashi cleared his throat dismissively ignoring his late wife's brother and the room went silent. He was about to start the meeting when he noticed someone was absent.

Just then the door opened with a crash as Hanabi twirled through it wearing a flaming pink tutu and a jean jacket with combat boots. She flipped them all off while proclaiming belligerently, "Fuck all of you! When I turn eighteen in a few months, I'm going to Hollywood to become an actress."

"An actress, oh dear," Aunt Yui repeated weakly as her hand moved over her heart as she felt it might stop any moment in shock.

"Hanabi, you're late. You are not eighteen yet, so, sit down," her father ordered coolly.

Shrugging her shoulders she plopped down in her seat next to her sister.

Hinata shared a look with her little sister, silently thanking her for her support. She knew Hanabi was trying to take some of the heat off her and direct the family's displeasure in her direction. After all, no Hyuuga would dare to become an actress.

She had to smile a little to herself as she gave her attention back to her father, because it was true, Hanabi always had been a little over-dramatic and it really was her dream to become an actress.

"Let's begin, now that we have everyone here," Hiashi started while sending his youngest daughter a dark look. "As everyone has heard in the news over the past few days about the rumors of a merger between Uchiha and Gaara Corporation, my sources have confirmed they are true. Representatives from both sides are currently in New York preparing to finalize the deal tomorrow afternoon. Our window of time is short to minimize the damage and I need everyone's proposals before a vote is taken on a course of action."

Over the next half hour Hinata listened to several proposals that on the surface seemed liked good tactics, but in the end they were all designed to eventually undercut the other side and harm the other businesses involved.

She was a firm believer in fair competition and these proposals did not sit well with her sense of ethics in business. Finally it was her turn and feeling her father's hard eyes on her she stood up and began speaking.

"Both of our competitors are very strong, with a vast amount of assets and resources at their disposal. Gaara Corporation for the past few years has grown to become just below us in terms of overall profits, grossing a large amount of their profits from their pharmaceutical division. However strong they may seem, they do have a weakness. My team of assistants and I have found out they are heavily overextended in their research and development division. To maintain profitability they need a large infusion of investment funds in order to survive."

"Our research," Hinata continued steadily, "has also found over the past few months there are several class-action lawsuits being formulated against them for a large number of deaths related to side effects from two of their most recently approved drugs."

A snort from her aunt Yui made Hinata pause and look over at her.

"Is that all you got? You are still such a naive child," the older woman complained dismissively. "Every business, including ours, always sets aside a large amount of money for lawsuits regarding the pharmaceuticals we produce. It is called collateral damage."

Hinata knew what her aunt said was true but it still sickened her. Collateral damage…these were people's lives they were talking about.

"What is your proposal, Hinata," her father asked as he looked up from the report in front of him.

Beside her, Hinata felt her sister place her hand around hers and squeeze it. It gave her a little courage to continue. "I propose we offer to buy Gaara Corporation's pharmaceutical division as a counter-offer to the merger with the Uchiha Corporation. If we make the offer large enough, it may make them change their mind regarding the merger."

Having nothing more to add, Hinata sat back down in her seat.

"Hmm…I have been considering that course of action as well," Hiashi said as he gave his daughter a slight look of approval.

Aunt Yui stood up next and looked around the room with war-like eyes. "Unlike my young niece, I have been around a long time and I know when it is time to cut our losses and move on to something new. I think that time is now. If that merger goes through… we are finished. There is no way we can compete with such a combination. The Uchiha have a huge share in the natural and organic marketplace while the Gaara Corporation has a huge portion of the market share in pharmaceuticals," she stated before holding up two folders. "I have in front of me two very generous offers to buy our pharmaceutical division and I think it is time to consider accepting one of them."

The room began to buzz with excitement. Hiashi looked over at his oldest sister with interested eyes. "Who made the offers?"

Aunt Yui looked over the papers in front of her, "A Chinese company and an undisclosed private buyer from America."

An uncomfortable twinge in her stomach came over Hinata when she heard the second buyer. Something told her she knew who it was.

Itachi.

Her heart melted at first, knowing deep down it was his way of seeing her father's company would not be harmed no matter what. Yet on the other hand some doubt about his true intentions still remained in her mind. What if this had been his plan all along?

Hinata felt her aunt's darkly cynical eyes watching her and she bravely met her glance. Across the table her aunt let her know she knew who the undisclosed buyer from America was. "You are such a fool, Hinata," she whispered snidely.

Putting her face in her hands, she momentarily closed her eyes as she tried to gather her swirling thoughts. Part of her mind just couldn't accept that his motives were devious. Itachi would never do something like that to her family. He told her he wasn't involved with the merger and she believed him.

Hinata made up her mind that she had to stop her father's pharmaceutical division from being sold. Something didn't feel right about it to her, she felt if they went through with it, it would be a huge mistake down the road for everyone, including Itachi. She would ask Itachi about his motives later, when she spoke to him next.

"Is there anything else anyone wants to add before we take a vote?" Hiashi asked the group.

"I do," Hinata said with a hint of determination in her eyes.

"Make it brief," her father ordered.

Hinata stood up, "Before we take a vote, I just wanted to remind everyone in this room regarding the great strides we have made in our Research and Development department. We currently have two drugs that we have submitted for approval in several countries that will possibly cure or at least ease the suffering of millions of people worldwide from the disease Multiple Sclerosis. While that in itself is wonderful, we also stand to recoup billions in the long run from those meds. I do not think now is the time to sell this division," she ended firmly with conviction before taking her seat.

Hiashi stared at his daughter for a moment and felt something like pride come over him. His daughter was starting to remind him of his late wife, not just in looks but also in personality.

He cleared his throat, "Time for a vote, if you think we should make a counter-offer raise your hand."

Hinata raised her hand and beside her Hanabi did too.

"I just hope this move doesn't wipe out all of our money, I need some to finance my career," she whispered semi-jokingly into her sister's ear.

Neji also raised his hand. "I agree with Hinata, our pharmaceutical department is poised to make billions over the next few years, it would be foolish to sell it at this time."

Hinata looked over at her cousin on the screen and gave a warm smile to thank him for his support of her.

Over the room went a collective gasp as beside Neji on the screen, Uncle Ko raised his hand. He never went against Hiashi, he always voted with him no matter the issue. "Sorry Hiashi, I agree with the youngsters. Now is not the time to be timid and sell. We have too much invested in that part of the company."

Hinata's heart swelled in her chest, her motion had won. Her father and aunt only had three votes between them, with her father's vote counting for two of them.

"We will submit a counter-offer and wait," Hiashi declared before dismissing the meeting. "We will meet again tomorrow afternoon to assess the situation and explore other options at that time."

Hiashi gave his daughters a long searching look before he stood up and left the room.

As Hinata watched him leave and most of the others in the room with him, she also caught the scornful look her aunt sent her and she hoped with all of her might she made the right decision not to sell. Gathering her things to leave, she had a feeling tonight was going to be one of the longest of her life.

* * *

Hiashi Hyuuga was in the process of closing down his massively affluent office for the night when his eye caught a glance of a report on his desk. It was from one of his informants in the Uchiha Corporation. Scanning through it he had to admit he was somewhat pleased with the state of chaos that was going on over there. Ever since Fugaku's son Itachi had taken over control they had been consistently beating him in several markets. However, as he scanned down through the report a deep frown appeared over his brow.

"Fugaku, you idiot," he muttered under his breath while he pulled out his cell phone and found his old friend's number. He called it and wasn't surprised when it went straight to voice mail.

"Listen you idiot, I am only going to tell you this once. That time I met up with Mikoto in Europe, nothing happened! I was feeling down, missing my wife and she consoled me. We spent the night talking. I don't know why, but for some reason your wife loves you and is faithful to you. You are just too stubborn to see it. Goodbye."

* * *

Sasuke knocked on her door and waited for her to answer it. While he stood there he felt strangely awkward and began to fidget with the small velvet ring box in his pocket. Tonight was his last night with her and he didn't want to fuck things up. One way or another, he wanted her to come with him to New York. With the way things were going in with his family, though he would never admit it out loud, he needed her by his side.

"Hello Sasuke," Tenten greeted him in a rush. "Come in, I just need to fix the straps on my sandals real quick." Then she walked over to the side of the bed and sat down and began to adjust one of them.

As he entered the room and watched her, he was beginning to understand more and more why Itachi had gone to such absurd lengths with Hinata to reach her. Unable to stop it, his eyes lingered over Tenten and he absently noticed she was wearing a blue dress tonight. To him, it didn't matter what she wore, she always looked so beautiful…and strong. He liked that about her, she was a fighter and wasn't afraid to jump right into something, just like him.

Tenten could feel his eyes on her and she almost rolled her eyes, but looking up at his face she saw he wasn't checking her out, he almost looked…thoughtful, like he was deep in thought, very un-Sasuke-like.

Feeling her guard around him slip even further, her brown eyes were warm as she straightened up and found her purse and looked at him. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," he replied with a small smile that almost took her knees out.

Her hands were practically shaking as she closed the door behind them.

Trying to keep his cool as they walked side by side down the hallway, Sasuke asked casually, "So where do you want to go tonight?"

"Umm, I don't know, why don't you just choose something…" she said with a shrug and then added, "I sort of feel bad about having a fun time while Hinata and Itachi have to deal with everything."

"I know," Sasuke said agreeing with her. He did feel a little bad, but he had a feeling once he got to New York a whole lot of work was going to be dumped on him, so it all evened out in his mind.

He was just about to suggest going to the new steakhouse downstairs in the hotel when…_holy fuck_, a thatch of dark red hair caught his eye before it vanished around the corner where the elevators were located. Without another word he sprang after Gaara.

It didn't take Tenten too long to figure out who it was that Sasuke was chasing down, she had met Gaara before in Japan and she couldn't believe they had actually ran into him in Las Vegas when no one else seemed to be able to find him.

It was a freaking miracle.

After she caught up to them she stood back politely while they talked and watched Gaara close his eyes in disgust and make a phone call and effectively chew his brother out. Before he got onto the elevator Sasuke handed him a small piece of paper. A tiny but satisfied smile slid over Gaara's face.

"Goodbye, Sasuke," he said before he pushed the button to close the doors.

After the double doors closed Tenten looked at Sasuke and she began to laugh. They talked for a few moments about their extraordinary luck before she had to ask, "What was on the piece of paper you gave him?"

He looked back at her and his dark eyes were as serious as she had ever seen them. "Tiffani and Erica's phone number."

Her hand went up to her mouth as she felt his dark eyes stay on her, almost challenging her.

_Oh hell_, she knew she really was in trouble now...he had just taken their relationship to a whole new level.

**Author's Note:** I am trying my best to write this story down as the words keep flowing in my mind. I have been blocked for months on how to get to the finish line with this one, it feels pretty good. Thanks so much to: fanofthisfiction, traciss and hinafan16, I appreciate your support and encouragement very much.


	19. Chapter 19

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 19**

* * *

**AN: Big thanks to: **Keirii, fanofthisfiction, Jackyjackerson, traciss, Cutsodeep and Hinafan16. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!

* * *

Hinata slid into the limo with a groan. She was running late because she had forgotten to set her alarm clock last night. Not only that she also forgot to charge her cell phone and this morning while she got ready for work she had to charge it.

After turning it on, she found she had a few texts from Tenten and one of them was rather long and it told her briefly how they ran into Gaara and how he put a stop to the merger.

A huge smile lit her face and an enormous feeling of relief settled over her body as she released a long relieved breath and felt some of the horrible tension and worry she had within her start to diminish.

_Oh thank god,_ she thought gratefully. So many people's lives would have been affected negatively had it all went the other way. It was a sobering thought to her that Itachi and her father made decisions like that and carried that heavy burden of decision making with them all of the time.

Reading through the rest of her text messages she saw the last one asked her if it would be alright to take some vacation time off and go to New York with Sasuke. A misty-eyed smile came over her face as she read it. Quickly she called her, but when Tenten's voice mail came up she decided to text her and told her to take as much time as she needed, she would put fill out the paperwork for her.

With all of her heart she hoped Tenten would find what she was looking for with Sasuke. Her friendship and loyalty over the past few years had meant the world to her.

As the car stopped in front of her father's building, the thought struck her as it lodged loose the torrent of emotions that came with it, she should also be going to New York.

To Itachi.

The things she wanted to say to him could not be said over a phone, she wanted to say them in person.

The car had barely stopped and she was already getting out and racing to her office. There were a lot of things she needed to take care of before she could leave.

Stopping by her secretary, she asked her politely to book her the on the first flight out to New York and then headed straight into her office.

Hinata was on her computer filling out paperwork for Tenten's leave of absence when she looked up and saw her Aunt Yui was standing in the doorway. Her long gray hair was scraped back in an even tighter bun than usual and the look on her face was slightly smirking.

"Well, young missy, it looks like you dodged a bullet with this one," she stated while she took a seat by the door without being invited to do so.

"Yes Aunt, I believe I did," Hinata replied in a wary manner and wondered how long the old woman was going to stay, she had some paperwork to do and she still needed to talk to her father before had to go home to pack for her flight.

Staring at the beautiful young woman in front of her, Yui couldn't help but notice she was growing up, almost over-night, and seeing it made her feel much older than she actually was. Still, she couldn't help but feel a slight approval for her niece, she had stood strong yesterday and had acted with conviction and courage and had been fully prepared to face the blame had things gone wrong. It was a far cry from the normally timid mouse Hinata had always been in the past.

"You're growing up, Hinata," her aunt said to her in a brisk voice. "Let me give you a little advice…Don't get married, seek power instead and some day you will be running the show around here, and making all of the decisions. Men and most people cannot be trusted."

Hinata listened to her aunt's bitter advice and did not agree with her at all, but she was far too polite to say so. Her face was a little sad as she stared back at the older woman and waited for her to continue.

Aunt Yui smirked slightly, "I know you think I am just a bitter old woman, but I was once young and idealistic like you…" her eyes became a little dreamy for a moment as she remembered back into her past…" and like you, I had a lover, he swept me off of my feet and made me feel like nothing else mattered except for our love and being with him."

"For a couple of months, it was glorious and I was so happy…" she continued before her face turned grim and twisted. "...Before he betrayed me and accepted money from my father to stop seeing me. He tried to contact me once, but I never spoke to him again."

For a moment, her Aunt's face looked so haunted and dejected, Hinata tried to comfort her, but the old woman stopped her by lifting an impatient hand.

"Don't pity me, Hinata. I learned an important lesson from that incident and it is one that has served me well over the years with countless others too." Her eyes were dark and intense as she met her niece's gaze with almost religious zeal in them. "Don't trust anyone…in the end people always want something from you and they will always find a way to disappoint you."

With one last hard look at Hinata her Aunt stood up and exited the room with stately strides.

For several long moments Hinata absorbed what her aunt had told her and wondered if that could have been her thirty years down the road. Still living under her father's control, being used by people, afraid to trust anyone…the mental picture in her mind was so terrible a shiver went through her.

Closing her eyes slowly an image of Itachi smiling at her gave her hope that such a future scenario could never be a reality in her life.

Still, even though she knew it was time to break free of her family, she felt a little torn though as if her security blanket (the only protection and life she had truly known) was being unraveled little by little until there was nothing left.

Her secretary peeked her head in through the open door. "Excuse me Hinata-sama, your flight has been scheduled for 6:30 tonight. I'm sorry though, I had to book your seat in coach."

As she thanked her secretary for her hard work and assured her that coach would be fine, Hinata fought down the raw ache of anticipation and longing. Now that the crisis was over and her attention wasn't diverted, she was starting to miss him terribly.

Looking at the clock she hurried through all of her tasks and after she had completed the last one she made her way over to her father's office.

* * *

Hiashi welcomed his daughter by looking up from the document he had been reading and nodding his head slightly. He watched her as she crossed the room with graceful strides. As she settled herself in a careful and demure fashion in the seat across from his desk he realized he was proud of the person she had become. She was hard-working, uncomplaining and unquestionably loyal. At the board meeting yesterday, she had been practically the sole voice of optimism, reason, and calm in the face of fear and panic.

"Did you need something from me Hinata?" He asked her before looking back down and giving his stern attention back to the document on his desk.

"Father," Hinata asked tentatively as she knew from experience that even if it didn't appear to be so, he was actually paying attention. Her father was a brilliant multi-tasker. "Do you know the name of the undisclosed buyer from America who offered to buy our pharmaceutical division?"

Looking up from the document he was reading and settling his gaze on his daughter's face, Hiashi kept his thoughts hidden from her. He knew who the person was and he also knew just how much the risk had been involved for the person to do it.

Biting back a small smile he realized there was a lot more to Itachi Uchiha than he had first thought. A year ago when he had requested a marriage meeting with Hinata, Hiashi had denied him because he had heard some unsavory gossip about him and some woman from Europe in the news. After all, he did not want to give his eldest daughter to marry some womanizer, no matter how brilliant he was in business.

But now, it seemed that the young man was quite serious about Hinata and had put a great deal of his personal fortune at risk by making that offer. His estimation of him as a person had gone up a great deal over the past few days.

Hiashi's eyes had a bit of a knowing glint in them as he answered her, "The _person_ who made that offer stood to lose a great deal of money, especially in the short run, had the merger went through, our stock would have dropped by at least by 50 percent and..."

As Hinata listened to her father, she began to understand that even if the worst case scenario had not happened, it still would have taken the buyer years to recoup his initial investment in the company and even that was not guaranteed, because of the nature of the business. When Itachi made that offer she was sure he was very much aware of all of those risks, yet he still chose to do it.

Completely forgetting she was in front of her father, Hinata's eyes closed as she felt like weeping at how incredibly selfless Itachi was.

Suddenly she wanted to see him; she longed to be with him in person. The distance between Tokyo and New York seemed to be an enormous chasm to her.

"Then I take it you are planning to go to New York," her father's semi-amused voice broke through her thoughts, startling her out of her reverie.

She immediately sat up ramrod straight as she remembered where she was and nodded in a carefully controlled manner as she strove to hold back her emotions. "Yes, father."

Hiashi watched his eldest daughter sitting pseudo-calmly before him and it took him back to when she was a small girl and he had just lost her mother. She had been such a timid, frail looking child and her sister, only a baby at the time had wailed like a demon-child if she didn't get her way. The responsibility of raising two daughters such as them had over-whelmed and had made him a complete wreck without his wife. There was no doubt in his mind he had made a lot of mistakes with them over the years, but he had tried his best. He had been hard and demanding and raised them the only way he knew how.

After all, the world was a hard place and he knew in business the soft do not survive.

In his eyes there was a miniscule amount of contrition as he surveyed his daughter, and his voice was a little gruff as he told her, "You did well yesterday and I wanted to let you know…that all of your years of hard work for me have not gone unnoticed."

A deep swelling of joy and shock exploded in her chest hearing her father acknowledge all of her sacrifices and it left her utterly speechless.

Hiashi took a deep breath before admitting, "I know I haven't been the best father to you Hinata." Hanabi had been telling him for years what a terrible father he was, but he never heard any complaints from his older daughter. "I'm sorry."

Unable to stop herself, Hinata's shoulder's began to shake as she started to cry silently. She had longed to hear those words from him for most of her life; she thought she never would hear them from him. And even though she wanted to run around his desk and throw her arms around her father, she knew not to. It would make him far too uncomfortable because Hyuugas did not engage in such unseemly behavior such as hugging and her father was a true Hyuuga through and through. Instead she inclined her head to him respectfully and gave him a choked up smile when she lifted her head.

For the next few moments they talked almost adult to adult, one on one for the first time ever. Hinata thought it felt nice and she allowed to herself to bask in the light of his approval for once.

Then his eyes shifted to the clock on the wall he cleared his throat gruffly before declaring he had a meeting to attend soon. Almost reluctantly, Hinata reached into her briefcase and pulled out her letter of resignation and slowly slid it toward him.

Hiashi stared at the envelope for a few moments before he opened a drawer in his desk and put it inside.

His eyes were firm as he looked at her and said, "Go to New York on a leave of absence first and we will discuss this later."

Hinata nodded okay and realized he was giving her the option of keeping her job in case things did not go as she planned in New York. Knowing their discussion was now at an end, she stood up to leave.

She had just about reached the doorway when her father's voice stopped her. "Just so you know, I didn't plan to go through with your marriage to your cousin. Six months ago Neji had been offered another job and was considering leaving. The only way I could keep him around was to offer you and half of the business when I retire. He has always wanted to be my heir and he is also very protective over you."

"Thank you for letting me know, father," she said after she turned around to face him. Her eyes were serious as she told him, "I think you should make him your heir for real, he is the best choice. He will make a far more capable president than I ever could be and Hanabi plans to become an actress."

A hint of displeasure passed over his face at her mention of Hanabi's choice of future careers. "We will discuss this down the road later Hinata, I am not ready to retire yet. But I will give your thoughts some consideration when the time does come."

The feeling of freedom was beginning to expand exponentially within her after she bowed to her father and promised to call him from New York after she arrived there. With every step away from the office and toward the airport the shackles of her old life were starting to come off one after the other.

* * *

The flight from Japan was unbearably long and her ability to rest peacefully was non-existent. Whether it was from her own nerves and anxieties about seeing Itachi again and rehearsing in her mind endlessly about she was going to say to him. There was also a small four year old boy in the seat behind hers who was not happy about flying and he spent most of his time either screaming his head off or kicking the back of her seat throughout most of the flight.

When she finally arrived in New York fourteen hours later, her nerves were shot and she was only surviving on pure adrenaline and a raw desire to see Itachi again.

After she went through customs and showed them her passport, she had to make her way to the baggage claim and it dawned on her that this was the first time she had ever been allowed to travel anywhere without her father's handlers and security with her.

It took her a while to find her suitcase at the baggage claim and an even longer time to find a taxi. When she finally did hail one down she realized she didn't know the address to give him, being unfamiliar with New York.

"Uchiha Corporation Headquarters," was the only thing she could of think of to say and was relieved when the cab driver nodded and turned away from her and started to drive.

Her eyes were wide as she watched the scenery go by her from inside the cab. New York was a bustling city and was a lot less restrained than Tokyo was. However, the closer she got to her destination, the more her anxiety about what she was going to say to Itachi when she finally met him began to grow.

The cab finally stopped in front of an enormous and influential building downtown that was on par with her father's building in Tokyo. After handing the driver her credit card and thanking him, Hinata got out of the car and followed him to the trunk to retrieve her suitcase.

Soon she was a little out of breath climbing up all of those stairs as she lugged her suitcase behind her. In the corner of her eye she saw some reporters near the front entrance and she quickly put her shades down, lowered her face and rushed through the front doors.

A couple of young and polite receptionists greeted her cheerfully from behind the sleek black desk.

Feeling a little bit like a fish out of water in a foreign city she bowed slightly and handed one of them her card and spoke in English, "Good afternoon, I would like to see, Itachi Uchiha please."

After reading Hinata's name on the card the young receptionist raised her eyebrows slightly and subjected her to a quick appraisal before standing up and smiling at her. "If you will please follow me, Miss Hyuuga, his office is this way."

As she followed the receptionist through the building with her suitcase behind her she knew by the time she made it there, the news of her visit to Itachi's office was going to be spread through the building like wildfire. It was obvious by the curious looks she was given by practically everyone she passed in the hallways.

The receptionist left her at the elevators after letting her know his office was on the top floor. Hinata stepped inside and was grateful to be the only occupant inside of it. Her heart began to thud in her chest with trepidation as it climbed rapidly upwards.

At the top floor, the elevator chimed and the doors opened, Hinata took a deep breath before stepping out into a large waiting room. Her eyes scanned and her and noticed it was tastefully decorated with beautiful brown leather couches that were obviously handcrafted in Europe and had to be frightfully expensive. Near the back of room there was another secretary and Hinata guessed by the ornate plaque on her huge desk and by her age she was probably a long-time employee. Behind her was a large affluent office with double mahogany doors that was flanked by smaller offices on either side of it.

The President's office.

Steeling her resolve she dragged her suitcase behind her with as much dignity as she could muster and stood in front of the middle-aged woman dressed in a sleek business suit.

Hinata was about to greet her when the woman greeted her first with a face that was wreathed with a polite, but very curious smile. "Good morning, Miss Hyuuga."

"Good morning, ma'am, is Mr. Uchiha available to meet with me right now?" Hinata asked with an equally polite smile and was not surprised the woman knew her name and what she looked like. In her experience, personal secretaries to the President usually knew just about everything that was going on in the building even before the President did. At least back home her father's secretary did.

The secretary stood up and came around her desk, "I'm sorry, Miss Hyuuga, he is away from the office right now."

At the news Hinata felt equally deflated and relieved as she considered what to do next. Looking up she asked, "Is Sasuke or Miss Nishikawa around?"

The secretary shook her head and gave her an apologetic smile, "No, they were here earlier, but they left over an hour ago. Would you like me to try to contact them for you?"

"No ma'am," Hinata replied quickly. While she would like to see them, there was someone she wanted to see a hundred times more. "Is it alright if I wait for him?"

The woman smiled, "Of course, I don't think he will be gone that much longer."

"Thank you," Hinata said gratefully as grabbed the handle of her suitcase and began rolling it behind her. She had expected that she was going to be led to sit on one of the couches, and was surprised when the woman pulled out a key and opened up the double doors and invited her inside.

"I don't think he'd mind if you waited inside of his office," she said with a slight twinkle in her eye that told Hinata the secretary was well aware who she was to her boss. After offering to bring her some tea, the woman left her alone and closed the doors behind her.

Wilting in relief at finally making it here after her long journey, Hinata sat down on a long sleek, leather couch and looked around the office with curious eyes. She noted there weren't a lot personal items in the room, except for a few family photos on the table behind his desk. And Like the waiting room out front, the office contained beautiful and tasteful furniture and it was surrounded with very modern and glossy windows. The views of the city were absolutely stunning, breath-taking actually. She was admiring the view of the harbor when the secretary returned with her tea and also a bottle of water.

After asking Hinata if there was anything else she required, she left her alone.

Once again alone, Hinata didn't waste any time going over to his desk and looking at the family photos. A huge smile came over her face when she saw one of them was of Itachi and Sasuke when they were much younger, and they were sitting on a park bench and Itachi had his little brother's head in a headlock. She couldn't help but grin even more at how happy and adorable they both looked in the photo.

She spent the next few moments watching the door and glancing around the room. Then she moved over to the couch, and began sipping her tea as she kept a constant nervous watch on the clock, and was wondering what was keeping him so long.

Exhaustion began to envelop her as the wait grew longer and the adrenaline that was keeping her going began to wear off, it wasn't long before she leaned over the side of the couch and fell fast asleep.

* * *

As Itachi stepped into the elevator he loosened his tie slightly. It had been a hell of a tough morning for him as he had spent most of it dealing with rumors in the aftermath of the merger falling apart.

He was glad that whole mess was over and done with, especially for Hinata's sake. The strange thing was he could not find his father; it was as if the man had simply disappeared. In his pocket was his letter of resignation and he really wanted to give it to him and be done with it. In his heart there was only one place he wanted to be right now and that was Tokyo. The only thing keeping him here in New York was his promise to Hinata that he would wait for her to call him first.

As though it had become a habit, his eyes automatically glanced at his phone and he noticed that she still hadn't tried to contact him.

When the elevator reached the top floor, he saw that Mrs. Ryan was not at her desk. He figured it was nearing lunch time.

He couldn't remember the last time he ate or even slept. The days were just becoming a series of dark, miserable blurs to him as he waited for her to make contact with him.

His phone alerted him he had a text and a quick glance told him it was from his brother telling him they would meet up with him later for dinner.

As he put his key in the door to unlock his office he thought of how having Sasuke and Tenten around have been one of the few bright spots in his life at the moment.

Opening the door he headed straight for his desk and almost missed the suitcase to the right of one of the couches. A deeply relieved breath escaped him when he pivoted quickly and saw her fast asleep on his favorite couch.

Soundlessly, so he wouldn't wake her up, he made his way over to her and watched her as she slept. His dark eyes lingered over her for several long moments and softened as he took in the dark smudges under her eyes and realized she had also been through a lot over the past few days.

Bending over he picked up her purse before sliding his arms underneath her and scooping her up with infinite care trying his best not to disturb her. Cradling her close to him, he savored the contact with her and breathed in the intoxicating scent of flowers that always surrounded her.

_Welcome home, Hinata_, he thought as he looked down at her sleeping face as it rested against his chest.

As he opened the door he realized he was about to provide a lot of fodder for the gossip mill carrying her like this. He quickly found a security guard and had him fetch her suitcase as well as call for a car to meet him in the back of the building.

As it was, a few employees did see him carrying her but he no longer cared. He just wanted to get her alone so they could talk and he could find out what she had decided…about them.

It only took a few more minutes and he finally was alone with her in the back of one of the company limos.

_To be continued…_

**Author's Note:** This chapter was huge and I tried my best to give Hinata closure with her family and now it is time to end all of this. I am trying really hard not to rush it, so if you think I am please let me know. Also, I am pretty sure the next chapter will be the last one along with an epilogue. We'll just have to see how it all goes.

**Naruto Shippuden Anime alert**: No spoilers, just wanted to let all of those who had dropped the anime out of boredom (like I did for a while) the last three episodes have been AWESOME! Uchiha brothers vs Kabuto!


	20. Chapter 20

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 20**

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_**Huge thanks to:**__ blackirishhawk, Kibachow, Hinafan16, Cutsodeep, chibi beary, LilacWhite and fanofthisfiction for taking time to leave reviews. I hope you like their reunion. _

* * *

She awoke to the sound of seagulls and the smell of salt in the air. Cracking open her eyes, Hinata felt groggy and disoriented as only extreme exhaustion and jet lag can make a person feel. Underneath her she could feel the boat swaying lightly and could hear the waves lap gently against the sides of it.

Hinata laid there on the comfortable bed for several moments slowly adjusting her eyes to the light. When she could see better, she noted the room was a fairly decent size for a room on a boat. It was almost sparkling clean and was decorated comfortably in masculine shades of gray, black and tan.

Breathing in deeply, she could smell the lingering of Itachi's scent on the pillow next to hers and she knew this had to be his room. Hinata closed her eyes against the sudden sting of tears behind her eyes as she knew he had to be somewhere close by.

Anxious to see him, she hurried to the bathroom to tidy up and after she was satisfied with her appearance, she ascended with careful steps up the staircase and into the sunlight. Once on the deck the breeze whipped over her making her newly tidied long hair a thing of the past. Quickly pulling it back into a braid she resumed her search for Itachi.

As her eyes scanned around the large yacht, she couldn't help but admire how lovely and graceful it was. It seemed to be quite old, but sliding a finger over the glossy wood, it also appeared to her to be very lovingly restored. While she wondered if he was the one who did the work, she realized there still was so much she did not know about him.

Then as she turned a corner around the main cabin she spotted him while he was standing near the back guardrail staring out in the distance over the water.

A large gust of salty sea air blew across the deck making her ears ring as she took a tentative step towards him. Watching him stand there so alone looking made her throat close with longing.

Fear suddenly bound her steps, w_hat if he doesn't want me anymore?_ She agonized and wondered if she could bear it if that turned out to be true. Fighting an internal battle she stood there as if frozen while the air began to grow increasingly blustery around them.

Then, as if sensing her presence behind him, he turned around abruptly and across the deck their eyes met. They stared at each other for several long tension filled moments, and to Hinata, his dark gaze seemed wary and unapproachable. It frightened her, making her think she shouldn't have come; maybe she should have called him after all. She tried to smile at him, but her face and mouth was too bound up with anxiety to move.

Itachi stood there waiting with his hands clenching against his sides for a reaction from her… any kind of sign to show him she still cared and wanted to be with him. Instead, all he could see was she seemed to be regretting coming to see him.

He should have known she would never have broken things off over the phone. Hinata was too honorable and respectful of other people's feelings; she would want to do the deed in person.

A sense of desolation washed over him as he had been filled with hope when he saw her waiting for him in his office. He had thought maybe things would work out for them after all.

A strong gust of wind blew his long dark bangs over his face and it caused him to avert his eyes from her for a moment as he looked around him. He realized it was too windy outside to hold a serious conversation out here. Reluctantly he began to walk towards her.

* * *

Dismay grew in her chest as she watched him begin to close the distance between them. Underneath her lashes her eyes drank in every last detail of him (in case this was the last time she ever spoke to him) his silky black hair that he wore unfashionably long, tied back in a sleek pony tail down his back; his flawless profile and dark eyes, with their calm steadiness that always seemed to be watching her and anchoring her down when she was with him.

_Oh God_, was there anything about him she didn't just absolutely love? Yet she noticed the closer he came to her, his tense, distant expression never wavered. He almost seemed reluctant as if he was the bearer of bad news and he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

The idea that he would pity her made her spine stiffen as a small glimmer of useless pride forced her to meet his eyes and stand up straight.

Stopping in front of her, he made no move to touch her as he said, "Come inside, it is too windy to talk out here."

Unable to speak due the lump in her throat, Hinata could only nod mutely as she watched him walk past her and she moved to follow him downstairs.

He led her to a small sitting/living room off of the galley and he sat down stiffly in a chair and gestured smoothly with his hand for her to sit on the brown leather couch directly across from him.

As though delaying the inevitable she moved slowly as she settled herself down on the couch. She felt nervous and awkward and ended up sitting on the very edge of it with her hands folded very tightly in her lap. It took everything she had within her not to fidget when she felt his eyes look over at her before coming to rest squarely on her face.

A few highly strained moments passed and Hinata felt a sob rose up within her but she stifled it without moving or making a sound. This was not how she rehearsed her reunion with him. She had thought they would have been able to speak normally, like adults. Before she left Vegas she felt comfortable enough with him to be able to tell him almost anything.

She forced herself to meet his impenetrable eyes and when she could still not read anything in his expression it made her unprepared to answer him when he finally spoke to her.

"Why are you here, Hinata?"

Her eyes drifted to the floor because she didn't want him to see the confusion in her eyes or the misery. She ended up doing what she always did under pressure, she reverted to politeness. "I'm sorry… Itachi," she whispered.

A muscle clenched in his jaw before he leaned forward wearily and cupped his face with his hands. "What possible reason could you have to be sorry for?" He asked her in a tight voice masking his frustration. If she was going to dump him, he wanted her to get it over quickly, not drag it out.

Hinata began to stutter a little, "I…I should have…called you…" she ended miserably before stiffening her spine and adding in a hesitant voice that was just barely above a whisper, "…instead of making things…awkward between us."

Frowning, Itachi looked up at her with questioning eyes, "So then, why did you come to see me?"

She felt her chest constrict with a wrenching pain, _because I missed you desperately and wanted to see you again. _In her lap her hands balled up into tightly clenched fists as she fought to keep the tears from erupting and upsetting him. With one last attempt to pull herself together she made her face into a polite mask and responded with quiet dignity, "I didn't want to have such a personal conversation with you over the phone."

Itachi watched her lower lip tremble slightly and he could also tell by the tension in her posture that she was struggling. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as he felt a cold panic grip him. The past few days had been hell without her, he wasn't sure if he could go a lifetime without her by his side.

In his mind he knew breaking up was never an easy thing to do, but as he tried to compare this one to other relationships he had in the past, there was absolutely no comparison. He had never felt even a fraction for the others what he felt for her.

Because he loved her so much he was determined to not make this more difficult for her, he would do the gentlemanly thing and help make it less painful for her.

Releasing a sigh, he crushed down all of the frustration and gut twisting pain he felt, keeping his voice steady and neutral when he answered her. "I'm listening Hinata, what did you come all the way from Tokyo to say to me?"

Lifting her glance up from the floor, her eyes were burning with raw unshed tears knowing nothing was going to make this break up any easier for her if he didn't want her anymore. But she couldn't leave him without telling him the truth about how she really felt about him.

She nodded quietly and couldn't stop her eyes from scanning over all of him one last time. Her gaze drifted over the sharp clear lines of his dazzling, yet stern face, his beautifully straight nose until they stopped on his mouth…_oh god, his mouth_…she remembered the way it had moved over hers and the way it made her feel.

To know she was never going to feel that sensation of her heart flying again was literally breaking it.

A few tears filled the rim of her violet eyes making them seem almost blue as she looked up into his and before she completely lost her nerve she blurted out in a rush, "I came here to tell you… I…love you…and…I would've considered myself to be the happiest woman alive… if I would have been able to wake up every morning by your side."

Embarrassment and a desire to hide the longing contained within them swept her eyes tightly shut as she spoke the words, but she was still glad she had said them, now she could leave in peace without any regrets. Hinata was about to stand up when she felt his hand on her arm and in the next moment she was hauled up almost roughly against him. Desperate, yet gentle hands tucked her head into his chest as he murmured tenderly against her hair, "We are a couple of idiots, Hinata."

_What? _Her mind exploded in confused shock, her heart was pounding so fast in her chest she practically stumbled when she tried to step away from him. "Itachi?"

He wasn't about to let her go anywhere as he pulled her back to him. "Don't ever leave me again," he said in a hoarse whisper and his arms tightened around her as if he was afraid she was going to vanish at any moment.

Feeling his jaw gently resting on her head she leaned into him and breathed in the comforting scent of him with relief and a growing smile on her face as bemused understanding dawned on her rapidly. Her voice was growing more confident as she asked, "So, you don't want to break up with me?"

"No," he answered her and he pulled away from her so he could meet her eyes. His dark eyes softened into gray as a contrite smile tugged on his lips.

"I'm asking you to marry me."

_To be continued…_

**Author's Note:** Ok, I know I said this was the last chapter, but I felt this was the right place to stop. I have one more scene that I have had in my mind for ages now and I definitely want to write it. Hopefully it will make a complete circle in everyone's life and I will feel better about ending this story. I am going to get to work on the last chapter today, please leave me a review and share your thoughts with me about this chapter:)

**Naruto Shippuden Anime alert:** Again, I can't wait until Thursday when the next subbed episode is posted (335, I believe) I will be on pins and needles until then! I love the Uchiha brothers! I won't say anything more, I don't want to spoil it for anyone.


	21. Chapter 21

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 21**

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_**Special thanks to: **CurveCrush, CharNinja LOL, blackirishhawk, Guests, fanofthisfiction, LilacWhite, traciss, Cutsodeep, chibi beary, evilbananalol, Hinafan16. You guys are awesome and I really appreciate the time you took to leave a review on the last chapter. Big hugs._

* * *

"I'm asking you to marry me."

The words and the smile he gave her were almost unbearably sweet to her after the last hellish moments she had went through.

_God Itachi, I almost lost you,_ she thought achingly as her eyes gazed at his face as he smiled down at her.

"I have been such a fool, Itachi," she admitted with a remorseful look in her eyes as she stared back at him. When she saw he was waiting so patiently for her to continue, she felt overwhelmed with emotions and couldn't stop herself from wrapping hers arms around him and leaning her face against his chest.

While she gathered her thoughts she breathed in the clean scent of him, and wondered how she could have ever entertained even a thought of breaking it off with him.

"I'm sorry," she said several moments later when she moved back a little so she could look into his eyes again. "Before I give you my answer… I feel there are a few things I need to tell you first."

"Okay," he said quietly, and he knew she was right about the need for them to talk, he did not want there to be any more misunderstandings between them. His hand was as supportive as it was gentle while it slid back and forth over her arm

"After you left me in Las Vegas, I had pretty much made up my mind…that I wasn't going to see you anymore," she confessed to him with truthful, yet sad eyes.

Itachi watched her closely and he wasn't at all surprised by what she just told him. While he had been with her in Vegas, he had always felt a certain amount of distance from her, like she was always holding back from him.

Not that he blamed her all that much, because everything did happen so quickly between them there was never really had much of a chance to talk about taking the next step. It was one of the reasons he had put the decision about their future completely in her hands.

"I had a feeling you were going to do that," he told her in a quiet somber voice.

She nodded sadly, "When you left me in Vegas, I felt so insecure about the two of us, I was scared and I think I was looking for reasons not to see you again….and you gave me one."

Itachi released a small breath before he nodded solemnly, "I know I did."

Hinata gave him a small forgiving smile as she placed her hand soothingly over his, "I didn't stay mad at you for long, I couldn't. For one thing, I didn't have time to think about the two of us because of the merger, and the other was…I was starting to miss you too much," she said and her eyes softened as she looked at him, taking in how the tension seemed to be decreasing from his face and shoulders.

Her hand tightened over his for support as she knew the next thing she had to say was going to be difficult for her. She had never openly shared her inner thoughts about her life with anyone before.

"Up until now, I have lived a sheltered life. I did what I was told, I didn't always do well in things, but I knew if I obeyed my father and worked hard, I would be able to move up in the company, and to some small degree I was satisfied with my life. Or at least thought I was… until I came to Las Vegas."

Tears filled the rims of her eyes as Hinata's face became a mixture of joy, angst and some bitter regret. "I met you that night at the Tabu and throughout our time together, I realized the life I had been living had been a fraud... and I was nothing more than a sheltered little princess afraid to take risks or to trust anyone… I was especially afraid that if you met the real me with all of my flaws… there was no way… you could ever love me," she told him haltingly as if the words were wrenched from her.

Itachi pulled him to her and buried her face in his chest, "You know that's not true," he told her in a rough voice as his hand soothed her by smoothing her hair down her back. He held her tenderly for several moments before pushing her away from him slightly, his intense dark eyes were searching as he asked her, "Do you still believe that?"

"No," she told him a raw, choked voice while she dashed the tears away with her hand, "Um…I don't anymore, Itachi...I feel like I have grown up some, and I have made peace with my father. It's just I don't want to be afraid of taking the wrong step, or making mistakes anymore."

Itachi eyes darkened a little in concern as he had to ask, "Why did you think we were a mistake?"

Hinata's eyes slid toward the ground and her mouth was smashed together in embarrassment. How in the world was she going to be able to tell him just how much she admired him? Compared to him, she felt like he was a sparkling, polished diamond, and she was just a plain and slightly dull rock. He had travelled around the world and met with foreign leaders, hung out with movie stars, been on the cover of countless magazines and has been running a massive company brilliantly for years. Not to mention he's one of the most insanely gorgeous people she had ever met, and also one of the most intelligent.

How could she not feel insecure when comparing herself to all of that? Did he not see just how unequal the relationship was?

She shook her head a little before lifting her eyes toward his and allowed him to see some of the overwhelming admiration she felt for him. "In a lot of ways…I just don't think we match up well together," she confessed in a sad, small voice.

Itachi almost laughed in bitter frustration as he reached out and clasped his hands around her shoulders, his stern dark eyes were mere inches away from hers. "Do you think I would be better off with someone more like me?"

Surprised she had touched a nerve with him, Hinata wanted to say no to him, and wished she could take the words back, but honesty compelled her to tell him the truth. "Yes, I have thought that many times…because I have never been able to understand… what you see in me?"

Seeing the raw honesty in Hinata's face, he felt he could do no less for her. Still, it was with reluctance he thought about his previous relationships, and his mouth twisted slightly with bitterness.

His face seemed like it was almost edged in stone as he summed it all up for her. "I have tried going out with women who were similar to me, and I found the relationships to be predictable, and completely pointless. Almost all of them had the same cynical eyes as me; it was like looking into a mirror. In the end, all of them became frustrated with me and left, because I couldn't give them anything they needed emotionally, and I wanted even less in return from them."

Slowly as she listened and tried to absorb what he said in such a cold, almost hollow voice she began to understand him a little more. The words he said also shed some light on why Mikoto had hated all of them so much. They had all been completely wrong for her son, and she knew it.

Her heart ached as she looked at the deeply complex and private man in front of her, she wanted to hold him and tell him she would never leave him, but part of her also longed to understand and know why he was drawn to her. It was something she needed to hear from him before she could go any further in the relationship. Lifting her eyes to his level, she tried to tell him what she needed from him.

Itachi gave her a long and perceptive look before he answered her simply, "It's your eyes."

Perplexed, Hinata blurted out, "My eyes?"

He nodded slowly while staring into them and a small smile touched his mouth. "When I first saw you come into the room at the Tabu, the first thing I noticed about you was your eyes. At that point I hadn't even recognized you, because you looked so different than you did the first time I saw you," he told her while his eyes swept her a warm and lingering glance letting her know just how sexy he had thought she looked that night in that black dress.

A blush crept over face as her heart began to thud in her chest as she looked at him and her eyes pleaded with him to continue.

He took a step closer to her and his darkly intense eyes stayed on her face as he said, "I watched you gaze around the room with a look of wonder and I couldn't understand what interested you so much about the place. To me, it was just another bar, not much different than the hundreds of other ones I had been in."

Hinata blushed even deeper realizing he had witnessed her acting so silly. "What you saw was me experiencing a forbidden place all by myself, somewhere my father would have never allowed me to go to in a million years. I was so happy to be free of all of his watchdogs and my Cousin Neji… I just wanted to absorb everything."

"Well, I was still captivated; I couldn't take my eyes off of you, your face was so expressive I found myself curious to find out what you were thinking," he admitted to her while keeping his watchful eyes on her face.

Hinata soaked up his words and felt some of the remaining insecurity she had felt about his feelings for her begin to diminish. There was something in the way he was so uncomfortable about opening up to her, that let her know he was absolutely being honest with her.

"So, is that the reason why you came up to speak to me that night?" she asked him because she had always been curious about that.

"No, I had figured out who you were by then, and I was planning to wait to speak to you until we could meet formally at the conference," he explained and an edge of irritation crept into his voice as he continued. "It wasn't until I saw that blonde guy come over and talk to you that I decided I needed to rethink my plan of waiting."

As Hinata observed him, the small smile on her face grew into a surprised grin, "Itachi, were you jealous?"

His eyes were cool as he evaded her question in a stilted voice, "I will admit, I was glad when you rejected him."

Feeling her heart begin to soar, Hinata smiled inwardly at his reaction. Outwardly though for his sake, she shuddered slightly as she remembered back, "He was too confident for me, I didn't have a clue what to say to him."

Showing his approval of her actions his arms slipped around her waist, but in his voice next to her ear there was a thread of reproach in his voice as he teased her.

"You tried to reject me too, why?"

Her eyes opened wide at his question, though partially joking, it also showed her a small amount of vulnerability. He always seemed so invincible and confident to her, did he really need some reassurance from her?

Her eyes were shining with love and remorse when she turned toward him and told him, "I wasn't um…necessarily… trying to reject you…I was petrified and stunned by my reaction to meeting you."

Itachi moved closer to her and when she noticed his beautiful dark eyes were very near to hers and the way they looked at her so calmly, hot blood rushed to her face and it served to further emphasize what she was trying to tell him. "Everything about you overwhelmed me to the point, I was too afraid to talk to you in case I did something really stupid. So, I just sat there and waited for you to leave," she admitted with eyes full of regret.

"I wasn't about to leave," Itachi responded and the look he gave her was so serious it made her heart skip a beat. "I was already in the process of planning our future together."

Hinata's mouth gaped open in surprise, "You knew as soon as then, you wanted to marry me?"

"Yes," he stated simply, as if he never had any doubts that they should be together. "I would have told you that night, but I didn't think there was any way you would've believed me."

"You're right, I wouldn't have believed you. I was so in awe of you, I had to drink alcohol to even have the courage to speak to you," she admitted ruefully while still a little dazed. Her heart still was beating fast in her chest by what she had just learned.

"Come here, Hinata," he said to her while holding open his arms. Without another thought she stepped into them and felt emotional tears begin to leap into her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Itachi…" she started to say, before he stopped her with a look.

"I understand, the only thing that matters now is that you are here with me now," he reminded her calmly.

At his words and the absolutely patient look on his face, Hinata felt some of the remorse she felt about doubting him subside. Feeling safe and secure in his arms, she knew that coming to see him and not giving up on the relationship had been the right choice.

With his head resting slightly on the top of her head and his arms wrapped around her, he asked her seemingly out of the blue, "When did you feel you could start trusting me enough to come see me in New York?"

A small lump formed in her throat at the serious tone of his voice; she could tell he was asking her something that was of some importance to him.

Though she didn't hesitate to answer him, her voice was still a little rough with emotion. "It was after I found out you had made an offer to buy my father's pharmaceutical division, and you stood to lose a lot of money if we had accepted it."

Looking down into her face, Itachi's eyes were a little guilty as he gave her a slightly crooked smile and said, "I wasn't aware you knew about that, I tried to keep the information undisclosed."

"I guessed at first," she admitted with a small smile and then told him, "I had my father confirm it. Why did you do it, Itachi?"

Itachi took a long deep breath and then released it before he told her, "I did it because I didn't want you or your family to be damaged irreparably because of the merger. I wanted to give your father a way to at least recoup some of the losses he would have incurred because of the actions of my father."

Hinata bit her lip to stifle a sob, and stepping back away from she bowed her head to him, "Thank you, Itachi. My family and I are grateful for what you tried to do."

Uncomfortable with her thanks, he said, "You don't have to thank me, Hinata. Besides, the offer ended up being unnecessary, because the merger didn't go through."

A small knowing and slightly misty smile touched her face as she looked at him, "We also didn't accept it, because I somehow convinced our board to vote against selling."

Itachi's eyes were warm as he looked at her with a new measure of respect. "Then, it looks like, I should be thanking you," he said softly.

Her eyes met his and she blushed as she said, "How about we call ourselves even."

He didn't answer her; he was too intent on sweeping her into a tight embrace and then burying his lips in hers.

* * *

The hungry kiss they shared went on so long and was so hot; Hinata barely even noticed when he settled her down gently onto the couch. Or that his nimble hands had unbraided her hair, and it was now flowing long and free all around her. The only thing she did notice was the feel of the cool air between their faces when he lifted his mouth off of hers.

Looking up with violet eyes that shone with a new level of awakened desire, she could see and feel he was lying on top of her, while his elbows rested on either side of her. In one of his hands, he was twisting, almost idly, a long strand of her dark hair around one of his fingers.

Finally her eyes met his above her face and a soft smile touched her lips. She was helpless to stop it when a warm blush began to spread over her cheeks when she noticed he was watching her…intently.

Itachi moved his head slightly, and she noticed for the first time that his normally perfectly tidy hair was unbound and was hanging loose around his face. The sight of him looking so rumpled caused a soft sigh to escape her mouth.

_Oh god_, she groaned mentally and the blood in her body began to heat up as she wondered if she was ever going to get used to the sight of his face. Not to mention the rest of him, everything about him was just so…

Above her, Itachi startled her out of her not so proper thoughts by clearing his throat noisily.

"Um yes, Itachi?" She responded almost with a nervous squeak.

"I'm waiting…you still haven't answered my question yet?" Beads of sweat broke out over his brow when he saw the glowing smile she gave him. His eyes darkened in intensity when he saw her bite her lower lip in nervousness.

"Do you mind repeating your question, Itachi?" She asked quietly, while her eyes were soft and tender with love for him.

He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "I love you... will you marry me, Hinata?"

Joyful tears sprang to her eyes and her voice broke, "Yes I will marry you."

Itachi's eyes closed slowly in relief. When he opened them, the beatific, relaxed smile he gave her made her breath catch in her throat.

Itachi shifted slightly over her and brought his face to where it hovered just mere inches over her face. His warm, heavy lidded eyes looked straight into hers. "Now, where were we…" he mused in a low voice.

Nervous anticipation made her heart begin to race wildly in her chest when she untangled her arms from underneath him where they had been trapped, and twined them around his neck. A shy, but very delighted smile spread over her face as she began to pull his head down toward her, "We were right here."

"I thought so," Itachi said, just before he proceeded to kiss the smile off her face.

A few minutes later after he had removed his shirt, and was in the middle of dragging his mouth hotly over the warm, silky hollows of her neck and tangling his hands in her hair, he wondered briefly, how open she would be about flying to Las Vegas and getting married there…

**Author's Note: **Okay, Okay. I know I said this was going to be the last chapter…well I was wrong. This scene was incredibly difficult for me to write and I will have to shift gears a lot during the next scene and I didn't want to have to wait to post something. The next scene is the one I want to use to tie it all up. Thanks so much for reading, please feel free to share your thoughts with me about the story, I love reading them.

Come on some of you lurkers, please throw me a bone, and leave me a review...I know you are out there, so please...make my day.


	22. Chapter 22

**Kismet at the Tabu**

**Chapter 22**

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**AN:** There are no lemons in this story, just a reference to one, fyi. Enjoy.

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_Thanks so much for your reviews on the last chapter, you guys are awesome: blue eyes, Athena SFM, Guests, __Hilda9Achillius9Fitra__, Silver, traciss, Kibachow, Fanofthisfiction and chibi beary._

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The late afternoon sun had delegated soft shadows around the room in a comfortable manner and it was starting to grow dark in there. Deciding it was time for her wake up, he placed a couple of fluffy bath towels for her to use on a small black table next to the bed. Sitting down carefully on the edge of the bed he gazed down at the occupant in the center of it, and his eyes softened before a small, but very content smile slid over his face.

As he thought over the past few hours, an emotional lump closed his throat as he momentarily shut his eyes.

His mind began to replay the way he had made love to her earlier. His hands had caressed over her with a lingering tenderness he had never shown anyone else. While his eyes had stayed on her expressive face the entire time because he couldn't take them off her. It was almost as if it had been a sensory deficiency within him, he needed to fill.

At one point she had opened her eyes and saw him staring into them, he could tell he had embarrassed her, but for some reason he couldn't stop himself from watching her. From that time on she had kept her eyes open and they had stayed on him, concealing nothing from him. It was as if she had come to a decision to stop hiding from him, and the level of trust contained within her naked eyes had floored him.

From that moment on he had to do the same for her and he could feel his chest tighten uncomfortably.

The level of intimacy between them had been an intensely touching, almost brutally honest thing to him. It was as if every gentle, loving touch from her had scraped off, parts of a hard layer of a barrier he didn't even realize had existed.

Then later, as they talked, he had actually ended up sharing so much about his life, good and painful memories, and disappointments, his heart and mind felt almost raw and scrubbed painfully clean as if a wiry brush had been used on them. It had been the first time he had every opened up that much about himself to anyone before, and he knew it was the same for her.

His eyes darkened with sadness as they slid to her still sleeping face and he recalled the haunted look in her eyes as she shared about her mother dying when she was five years old, and the multiple kidnapping attempts she had survived. Dredging up those harsh and deeply buried memories had caused her to shed painful, wrenching tears in his arms as he held her.

A compassionate, yet somewhat wry look passed over his face as he reached out and linked his hand intimately with hers. He didn't plan for, or expect, any of that emotional rollercoaster to happen, especially this early in their relationship, it just did. The words and actions between them had just come out on their own, unplanned and spontaneously.

Unplanned events and occurrences were becoming an uncomfortable reality in his life since he had met her.

As he reached down and slid the lovely diamond ring over her finger, he knew it might take them awhile to figure each other out, but that was alright with him, because he had never felt more alive and happy than he did right now.

Leaning toward her he reached out with his hand and tenderly brushed a stray lock of hair from away from her face and said softly, "Hinata, wake up."

Her violet eyes fluttered open slowly, and soon she gave a small stretch, and a yawn, because the jet-lag was still making her head feel foggy and a little disoriented. As she moved her legs over the delightfully soft sheets she felt an unfamiliar twinge of soreness that quickly made hot blood rush to her face, especially when she could practically feel he was watching her.

A softly bemused smile slid over her mouth, because at this point it was just too late for shyness with him. That ship had already sailed about a couple of hours ago. There probably wasn't a square inch left of her entire naked body that he hasn't either seen or touched.

Still, old habits die hard especially because of her very proper upbringing, she was a little tentative about making eye contact with him, and when her eyes finally did meet his, she couldn't contain her happiness or the tremendous love she felt for him.

"Itachi," she said in a slightly rough and sleepy voice and her breath caught in her throat when she saw the look in his eyes as he watched her. Everything about him looked utterly relaxed, content even, and she noticed the corners of his dark eyes were crinkled slightly in a way that fascinated her, as if he was amused by something.

"Why don't you take a shower and meet me up on the deck? I laid some towels out for you, and your suitcase is by the closet," he told her as he stood up, suddenly all-business again, but she almost laughed when she saw a hint of a secret lurking in his eyes.

"Um, alright, I'll be up there shortly," she told him with somewhat puzzled eyes as she started moving over toward the edge of the bed with the sheet still covering her. A quick glance showed her he was already climbing up the stairs out of the room. Sweeping her legs over the side of the bed, she picked up the towels he left for her and was in the bathroom in a flash.

* * *

Hinata finally saw the diamond engagement ring on her finger while turning on the shower and her heart swelled in her chest at how astonishingly lovely it was. Her misty eyes lingered over every flawless detail with deep appreciation. Everything about it was utterly perfect as if it had been made just for her. A poignant and happy grin touched her mouth when she now understood why he was looking at her that way; he had been waiting for her to notice it.

Longing to thank him as soon as possible, she washed her hair, then dried it and put some light make-up on in record time. Also, something told her he had something else planned for her this evening, and she didn't want to miss a minute of it.

Her movements were rushed as she quickly pulled her hair up in a loosely knotted bun, and pulled on some jeans, with a pretty lavender colored sweater, and slipped on some sandals and ascended the stairs to go up on the deck. Once up there she felt the cool, salty air flow comfortably over her face and she observed it was just starting to grow dark outside.

In the distance she heard a faint clicking noise and her eyes flew open and a gasp escaped her mouth as the area became completely illuminated with twinkling lights, thousands of them that sparkled brightly against the early night's sky. Their brightness encompassed the entire deck, along with the outside of the yacht on the rails. Dotted above the deck area were colorful paper lanterns and glowing LED lighted flowers.

Beholding the area around her with sparkling eyes, it seemed that every time she stopped them, she saw some new and beautiful detail about the decorated area that made her sigh with pleasure. It all looked so different from when she had been up here before earlier in the day, and the transformation was almost magical.

It reminded her a little of the first time she had viewed the Las Vegas strip at night, with Itachi.

Itachi stepped out of the shadows and into the light with a satisfied grin tugging at his mouth as he watched her. He had hired some of his mother's caterers (she always called them her miracle workers) and even though they had cost him a small fortune because of the extremely short notice he gave them, the look on her face and delighted smile had made it all worth it.

When she finally spotted him, she was in his arms in the space of two heartbeats. The look on her face as was fierce and tender as she held him close to her. Her throat felt tight as she didn't think she could contain any more joy or any more emotions today. Her heart felt so full it was nearly bursting.

_I love you, Itachi,_ she thought achingly.

"Are you happy, Hinata?" She heard his voice ask her.

She pulled back from him slightly so she could meet his eyes, "Yes, very much so," she told him as she looked at him and all around her, with eyes glowing with happiness and awe. "It is all…so…beautiful. I love it!"

Beneath her hands, his shoulders seemed to relax some. "It's just a small celebration," he said with a nondescript shrug before running his long fingers through his hair.

She bit back an astounded laugh at his modesty; all around her was sheer perfection. And as she looked at his nearly flawless profile as the lights sparkled off of his skin, she thought he was the probably the most dazzling sight out there. Yet, she could tell all of this romantic stuff was making him a bit uncomfortable.

In his heart, Itachi just wasn't a romantic kind of guy, he was a shrewd, tough businessman, but she could tell he was trying his best, and getting out of his comfort zone to do it…all for her.

Utterly and so completely moved by him, she couldn't stop smiling and her eyes were suspiciously moist as she reached up and placed her hands gently on either side of his face. "Thank you Itachi, you have made me very happy."

"You're welcome," he told her quietly with a tender smile before he lightly kissed her. When he lifted his mouth from hers his eyes had an expectant and almost amused look in them as he looked at her.

Hinata blushed in a guilty manner as she finally remembered something important as she lifted her hand up in front of him so he could see the ring on her finger.

"I'm sorry, I meant to thank you when I came up her, but I ended up getting distracted…by all of this," she said with a flustered grin as she waved her hand expansively all around her.

"Do you like it?" He asked her in a tightly modulated voice, he had spent almost two whole days searching for just the right one and he hoped he had chosen the right one for her.

The radiant smile on her face said it all as she looked at the ring and then at him. "Yes, everything about it is perfect; I couldn't have chosen a better one..."

"I'm glad," he told her with a relieved breath before he threaded his fingers with hers and they began to look around the area together. Hinata loved everything, and she was particularly impressed by the beautiful table with the lovely candle lights glowing in the center, but was surprised when she saw it was set for four people.

Seeing the questioning look in her eyes, he told her, "I invited Sasuke and Tenten to join us tonight."

As if on cue, she saw them step off the ramp from the dock, onto the yacht. They were dressed in business clothes and looked like they had come here straight from the office.

She sent Itachi a grateful look just before she ran over and threw herself into her best friend's waiting arms with a small cry. Hinata couldn't think of a better way to spend this evening celebrating, then to share it with the people who had almost started the journey along with them.

* * *

Sasuke's face was only a little bit mocking and derisive as he couldn't help but tease his uptight brother a little, "Don't you think you went a bit overboard, Itachi?"

"No," he responded simply as he looked pointed over to where the two girls were exclaiming rapidly in Japanese as they showed each other their engagement rings and looked around them in awe with glowing and happy faces.

Sasuke's expression softened as he watched his fiance's happy face as she talked to her friend.

Itachi watched his little brother as he was gazing at Tenten with an expression on his face he had never seen from him before. "I hope you will be happy with her, Sasuke," he said in a voice rough with emotion.

Sasuke, shifted his eyes back toward his perfect elder brother, the person he had alternately hated, admired, and been insanely jealous of, for most of his life and this time he only felt love for him. There wasn't even a trace of cynicism or mockery when he replied in an equally rough voice, "I wish the same for you, Itachi."

Itachi reached out and put his hand on his brother's shoulder and met his eyes. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Sasuke almost took a step back as he was floored by the genuine love he saw in his brother's dark, intelligent eyes as he stared back at him. His throat became thick with remorse as he cleared it, and shifted his gaze away uncomfortably towards the ground.

Hinata and Tenten had stopped talking a while ago and were watching them with rapt attention; somehow they had ended up clutching each other's hand tightly for support. Both of the women knew about the complicated relationship the brothers had, and hoped this would be a chance for old wounds to begin to heal.

Itachi looked around as he noticed how silent everyone was and felt Hinata gently slip her arm around his waist, "Come on Itachi, let's go eat, I'm starving."

He smiled at her in gratitude, and then he sighed a little uncomfortably. He had been meaning to tell his little brother how he felt about him for so long, but it never seemed to be the right time. He certainly didn't plan for it to happen tonight, but as he looked over at Sasuke as he talked to Tenten, he was glad it happened.

* * *

While they got over their astonished delight over the sumptuous food Itachi had ordered for all of them, along with the sheer amount of it, the uncomfortable vive they had going a few moments earlier began to diminish some. And by the time they were all sitting around the table eating and drinking the sparkling champagne Itachi had bought, everything was nearly back to normal.

It was Sasuke who raised his glass in a toast, and his eyes were unusually solemn as he said, "Here's to…" and his eyes looked to his brother to finish what he started.

Itachi nodded and an introspective smile touched his lips as he slowly met the eyes of everyone at the table, they were all going to be family now, and each one of them was starting a new chapter in their lives. His hand reached out and held Hinata's under the table, their fingers twined intimately together as he raised his glass with his other hand.

"…a new start for all of us," he added smoothly before they all started clinking their glasses together. When he turned to his future bride he swept her a warm glance as their touched glasses. When they each took a sip, their eyes met as they both were reminded of the first toast they had made in Las Vegas.

Hinata sighed wistfully, "I wish we could go back there, it was so much fun."

Itachi glanced over towards his brother and saw he had his attention on Tenten as they talked quietly. He looked back at Hinata, "Do you want to go there and get married tonight?"

Before she could answer, Sasuke interrupted firmly. "Sorry, you're too late. We've already decided to go there tonight."

Tenten frowned. "Why can't we all just go?"

Sasuke and Itachi shared a very long suffering look before Sasuke told her, "It's because of our mother. She is going to want to put on a hellish nightmare of a wedding, that I guarantee you, will be bigger than the state of California."

Tenten and Hinata had met Mikoto before, so it was with a sinking feeling in their stomachs they realized Sasuke probably wasn't exaggerating what she was planning.

* * *

While they were putting away the leftover food in the fridge, and clearing the table of all of the dishes for the caterers to clean up later, they decided they would compete as couples and whoever won would go to Las Vegas tonight. The losers would have to submit to the massive nightmare of a wedding, Mikoto was sure to plan for them.

Since they had limited options available to them on the boat, Itachi gave his brother a choice, dice or cards.

* * *

Setting down the deck of cards and poker chips on the table he had found inside of a cabinet near the galley, Sasuke's eyes met Tentens' and he gave her a confident wink. He felt the two of them really had an edge over his workaholic brother, who didn't care for gambling much, and probably hadn't played poker at all since they were kids. And Hinata…a small smile touched his mouth as he knew she didn't have much of a poker face, he was going to be able to read her so easily.

This was going to be like taking candy from a baby.

After everyone was settled and had a stack of chips in front of them. Itachi shot his brother an inscrutable look before he said blandly, "I'll deal."

Reaching out to the center of the table, he picked up the stack of cards.

"Do you know how to play?" Sasuke asked Hinata, just to make sure they were being fair in this contest.

"Yes…a little," she replied in a somewhat unassuming voice as she hid a small smile. She actually knew how to play pretty well, because her father's driver had taught her the game when she used to have to wait for her father to get out of business meetings and had nothing else to do.

Sasuke and Tenten's eyes met with all the confidence of a mental high five, they had a feeling they were going to win, and go to Las Vegas!

Itachi began to shuffle the cards and they seemed to surge to life, like bolts of electrical currents, swooshing, and snapping together, in rapid succession before he began competently dealing the cards out in front of them in neat little stacks.

_Fuck_, Sasuke appraised the situation and felt his earlier confidence dip a more than just a little. He picked up his cards and saw he had an absolutely shitty hand, just a pair of twos and not much else. A quick glance around the table and of course, he couldn't read his brother, Hinata was not even trying to hide her reaction and was actually smiling. And Tenten, she was looking at her cards in a sort of a hostile manner, like she was ready to stab them with one of the knives she had hidden on her.

He threw down three cards to discard them in Itachi's direction and rolled his eyes mentally when Hinata said she would hold her hand. When it came time to reveal their hands, Hinata had a full house, comprised of three aces and two kings.

Tenten and Sasuke looked at each other and groaned in frustration at how freaking lucky she was.

Hinata was pleased as could be when she scooped up the chips and grinned over at Itachi with a happy laugh. But when he told her it was her turn to deal she looked a little uncertain, because she had never learned how to do it.

"Um, do you mind doing it for me, Itachi? I've never dealt before."

Itachi shrugged, "Sure, I'll do it."

Something about the completely indifferent way he looked at her, made her feel oddly suspicious, like he was up to something.

Itachi shuffled and dealt the cards again and they all picked them up and looked at them.

Hinata's lower lip began to tremble as she tried to hold back the laughter, when she saw what he had dealt her.

There were four kings and an ace. She glanced over at him and he raised an indifferent eyebrow before lowering his glance back to his own cards.

Following his lead with some difficulty, Hinata kept herself pulled together and her face perfectly straight until it was time to reveal her cards.

She laid the four kings down on the table and she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer as she looked over at her fiancé.

"There is no way in hell, someone is that lucky twice in a row," Sasuke stated dubiously as he glared at his brother. He reluctantly began to grin when he saw his brother's mouth begin to quirk into a smile.

Tenten shoulders began to shake with laughter too as she met Hinata's eyes. "Where in the world did you learn how to do that?" She asked Itachi with a hint of amazement in her voice.

Before he could respond, Sasuke muttered while shaking his head in disbelief, "I've never once seen you play cards or even gamble when we've went to casinos."

"I don't like to gamble much," he said before taking a small sip of his drink. His eyes glanced in Hinata's direction as he admitted, "I learned how to do it when I was in High School, in study hall."

"Study Hall?" Sasuke repeated, completely taken aback. His upright brother never got into trouble, and he always had perfect grades. When the hell did he ever have to go there? He frowned as he realized he was starting to learn all kinds of new things about his brother tonight.

"Hidan taught you?" Hinata guessed with a knowing grin.

Itachi nodded and his eyes softened as he looked at her. She looked so relaxed and adorable he couldn't resist picking up her hand and kissing the pulse on her wrist.

Hinata's face turned bright red as she admonished him reminding him they weren't alone, "Itachi."

He gave her a warm and teasing look before he let go of her wrist.

A few moments later, Itachi turned toward his brother; with far weightier eyes than the ones he had just shown Hinata.

Sasuke saw that 'teachable moment' look in Itachi's eyes and knew immediately his brother was about to explain the reason behind his flashy, card-dealing trick.

"Rule number four of business negotiation, Sasuke," Itachi began coolly. "Never assume your opponents are weak based on appearances or assumptions alone, the strengths they hide from you will be the weapons they use to cut the leverage out from beneath you every time."

Sasuke sighed. "You're…right," he admitted slowly as though absorbing his brother's words. A small wry smile came over his mouth as he realized, yes, his brother was becoming nicer and more human in some ways, but he was still the same calculating Itachi. He rarely did anything without there being a reason behind it.

Itachi watched his brother and was glad to see him some signs of maturation in him. His eyes shifted over to Tenten who was also watching Sasuke closely, and he could tell she was a very level-headed and honest person, and if anyone could keep his hard-headed and temperamental brother anchored, it would be her.

As soon as he submitted his resignation to his father and stepped down as President, the job was going to be given to his brother, along with all of the responsibility of thousands of employees. He had to make sure Sasuke was ready for crushing weight of it.

"Alright, let's start over," Sasuke said brusquely as he started gathering all of the cards up. As he began shuffling all of the cards, Hinata put all of the chips she had won back to the center of the table.

He was just about to deal the cards, when his cell phone started to ring. Sasuke grimaced as he looked at the screen and saw it was his mother. Since he didn't want to deal with her right now, he decided to let it go to voicemail.

He had an ominous feeling in his stomach while he was pulling up the voicemail. He put it on speaker phone so everyone could hear it.

"Sasuke, its Mom. I just wanted to let you know I kidnapped your father and made him go on vacation with me, so we could try to work things out. I also wanted to tell all of you in case any of you are planning on flying to Las Vegas or something silly like that to get married…forget it. I have already spoken to Hinata's father and Tenten's family and they are all going to meet us in Hawaii for your double wedding! Call me back so we can talk about the details. I'm so excited!"

_Damn it_, Sasuke swore as he deleted the message. He looked at his brother, "How did she find out so quickly?"

Itachi shrugged, none of this scenario was surprising him one bit. "Who knows?"

Sasuke looked over at him closely, "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"

"To some degree, I always figured this outcome had a high probability of happening. After all, it is Mother we are talking about."

"Well, this time she has gone too far," Sasuke said darkly as he reached for his phone to call her back.

As Tenten wrapped her hand around his and the look in her eyes was pretty scary, "I want to talk to her too," she said and they went inside to put her on speaker phone and speak in private.

Itachi watched them go and he was glad Tenten went with him, because their mother had a way of reducing Sasuke to the ferocity of a puppy dog with only a few tears from her.

Feeling Hinata's eyes on him, Itachi sighed, "Go ahead and say it...my family is strange, and I'm calculating."

"Yes, you are, a little," she said softly while placing her hand comfortingly around his.

He frowned slightly as he looked at their hands linked together and the compassionate way she was smiling at him. "You don't mind it?"

"No, my family is a little similar, except most of them don't care about me and my sister the way your mother cares about you and your brother."

"I know she does," he admitted as he breathed out tiredly and pulled her into his arms. "I'm just ready to move on with my life, but I couldn't leave the company to Sasuke without knowing if he was ready or not to handle the responsibility that comes with the position." His eyes, as they searched hers, were looking for understanding.

Hinata's eyes were soft as she nodded earnestly, "I do understand. When I convinced the board to not sell our pharmaceutical division I couldn't sleep at all that night, I was so worried. If the merger had gone through we would have lost a lot of money and people would have lost their jobs. It made me realize that people like you and my father make those tough decisions all of the time."

Relief flooded through him at her words, and he tightened his arms around her while his mouth kissed the side of her face. His voice was oddly hesitant and stilted as he admitted in her ear, "My brain is always rapidly calculating… plotting out probabilities and possible outcomes…in my mind I am always multiple steps ahead of nearly everything…from one moment to the next."

Hinata was glad he used simple terms to explain himself because she had to admit, at times she did find his practically infinite mind more than a little intimidating and endlessly fascinating. He was so awesomely intelligent it was almost scary, but she could also see he was also very uncomfortable talking about it to her.

She didn't quite know how to reply to him, so she just had to rely on her instincts and love for him. "When you arranged for all of the lights tonight and our beautiful dinner, were you being calculating then?"

"No," he answered simply. "I did it for you and Tenten…to enjoy."

"Well, I thought it was um…very thoughtful of you," she replied lightly, trying to diffuse tension from him. However, her eyes were infinitely loving and patient as she added, "I don't mind if you are always planning or multiple steps ahead of me, Itachi…I am just glad to be part of your life."

Her gentle words of acceptance poured over him like springs of cool and healing water forcing his eyes shut. For the most part he didn't care much about what other people thought about him, but her reaction meant a great deal to him.

Hinata felt him pull her closer to him and he bent his head down so that his face was just inches from hers. Her heart began to overflow at the solemn yet reassuring look in his eyes as he told her, "You'll never be just part of my thoughts or my life, Hinata - you'll always be in the center."

_Oh Itachi_, she melted. It was by far the most romantic thing he had ever said to her and the mildly self-effacing look in his eyes told her he was well aware of the fact. They both smiled at each other in understanding.

The smile on her face soon faded when she whispered achingly, "It will be the same for you."

Crushing her to him, his mouth came down hard on hers, his hand curving around the base of her head tenderly. She sighed happily against his mouth, before kissing him back and feeling herself to be helplessly immersed in the stirring emotions he could evoke in her. His mouth had begun to slow on hers and was becoming increasing sensual and Hinata didn't even realize her hands were starting to unbutton his shirt, when his hand moved over them and stopped her.

"This will have to wait until later," he whispered apologetically. Hinata's highly embarrassed eyes peered around him and noticed Tenten and Sasuke were standing behind them with amused grins on their faces.

"Mom wants to talk to you, Itachi," his brother told him with a small smirk as he handed his cell phone to him.

Itachi ignored his brother's teasing and began walking over toward the other side of the deck. Feeling acutely uncomfortable, Hinata followed him.

Itachi placed the phone to his ear. "Hello darling," he heard his mother's voice greet him cheerfully.

"Well?" He prompted, "How did he do?"

She sighed gruffly, "Remind me to never negotiate with either one of you - ever again," she complained a little irately. "You are bad enough, with your subtle ways, but your brother is like blunt force trauma!"

"Ah, I see he found your weakness," he surmised with a slight smile.

"Yes," his mother complained with a small laugh of respect. "I think he is ready to take your place now, Itachi."

Itachi turned and looked at his little brother, who was actually laughing at something Tenten had said to him. "I agree, Mother."

"Itachi, I'm sorry you had to stay in the job so long, I know you have wanted to do other things for a while now," Mikoto apologized before saying in a slightly choked up voice, "Your father wants to speak to you."

He frowned slightly as he heard his mother handing the phone over to his father.

"Itachi," he heard his father's gruff voice come over the receiver. "I'm sorry, I was wrong to lie to you about the merger."

"It is all in the past, Father," Itachi stated, before adding somewhat contritely, "Some of the blame belongs to me, as well. I pushed you out of your job over the years, and took control of the company. I didn't do it intentionally, but I know that's what happened."

His father sighed roughly, and Itachi could tell there was some relief and happiness in his son's acknowledgement of the situation.

Fugaku had always thought Itachi was impervious to the feelings of others and had never discussed his wounded pride with his son. "Thank you, Itachi," his father said after clearing his throat. "But as you said, it is all in the past now. How about after your mother completes her insane wedding preparations, we get together with your brother and take the boat out, just the three of us, like old times."

"I'd like that, Father," his son said with a small smile.

"Your mother would like to speak to Hinata," his father told him in a more normal tone of voice. He wasn't a man to speak on the phone much and this conversation had reached an end for him. "Goodbye Son," he said as handed the phone back to Mikoto.

Itachi held out the phone to Hinata, "My Mother would like a word with you," he told her quietly.

She eyed the phone a little hesitantly, but the look in his eyes and the conversation she had just overheard made her feel reassured as she took the phone from him and placed it next to her ear.

"Hello, Mrs. Uchiha," she greeted Itachi's mother politely.

"Hinata, please call me Mikoto," she responded kindly. "I just want to apologize for the way I treated you before," Hinata heard her future mother-in-law say in the nicest voice she had ever heard her use.

"It's alright…" Hinata started to say before Itachi's mother interrupted her.

"No, it's not. I was very rude to you and deliberately insulting at times," she stated in a voice threaded with remorse. "I just want to let you know, it was never about you. It's just, when I heard your name, I thought of all of the problems between my husband and your father…and I thought Itachi was probably just using you as a solution to fix all of it. And I felt I needed to get to the bottom of it."

Hinata's eyes slid over to Itachi with almost a wry smile seeing how close to the truth his mother was about his original intentions.

"But, after I saw the way he looked at you, and how protective he was over you, I knew that I had been wrong. But then, all that stupid merger stuff happened and I never got a chance to tell you how much I am looking forward to…having you as a daughter," Mikoto's voice broke a little over the phone.

Hinata felt tears form in her eyes, she had thought Itachi's mother didn't like her and she was so relieved, "Thank you, Mikoto. I look forward to getting to know you better too."

"Well dear, I'll see you and Tenten in a week in New York; I have a designer lined up that is going to make the two of you the most beautiful brides ever! I am so excited! Tell Itachi, I will be in touch…goodbye."

Hinata handed the phone to Itachi and felt slightly as if she had been overwhelmed by a hurricane. Her mother-in-law was a force of nature and it was going to take some time getting used to her.

Itachi took her hand with a smile, and had a feeling Hinata was going to get along just fine with his forceful mother. "She is something else, isn't she?"

Hinata looked thoughtful and slightly emotional as she nodded, "I think I am going to love having her for a mother."

"She's always wanted a daughter, now she'll have two of them," he told her in a quiet voice just before they stood in front of Sasuke and Tenten. Itachi then gave his brother a questioning look.

Sasuke looked back at him and said with a snort, "The wedding will take place in a month; she's already booked an entire resort."

"Your mother is a scary woman," Tenten complained with a frustrated grin. "The amount of things she has accomplished already in less than a day boggles my mind. I had been planning to call my parents and tell them, but she got to them first."

"I know, I'm sorry Tenten," Sasuke told her, but she stopped him.

"It's alright…when she told us how she was paying for my entire family to go to Hawaii for the wedding and a vacation. I thought of how hard my parents work and I couldn't remember the last time they've had a chance to do something… so fun and relaxing…" she choked up a little and dashed a tear away with an impatient hand.

While they gave Tenten a moment to compose herself, Itachi asked his brother, "Well, what's the damage?"

Sasuke smirked a little as he summarized, "At first, she was rolling all over me, just like she usually does. Then…" he put his arm around Tenten, "…she figured out how mother does not want to become president and doesn't want our father to do the job either, she likes being in the background, and is much more comfortable in that position. Once we started threatening to go where she can't find us, mother began to tone down the wedding preparations a lot."

"Such as," Itachi prodded with a pleased raise of his eyebrow.

Tenten began to laugh, "We got the number to under five hundred guests. She started out about five thousand."

"And no Heads of State will be invited or opera singers performing," Sasuke supplied with a grim shudder. "I told her we would choose the entertainment for the reception."

Itachi looked thoughtful as he wondered if he could get the cast from KA in Las Vegas to perform.

"Mikoto said she will send each of us copies of the guest list so we can approve them before the invitations go out. Other than that, I am kind of glad I don't have to worry about any of the preparations," Tenten said in relieved voice.

"I'm glad too," Hinata said, thinking about the huge amount of work involved in planning such a massive event.

"My mother will take care of everything, happily. She has an army of assistants around her practically around the clock," Itachi told her in case she was starting to feel bad about not helping more.

The four of them talked for a few more minutes as Sasuke told them about some of their more ridiculous demands they had made just to see if they could get away with them.

Itachi watched his little brother talk with pride; it was nice to see a steady sort of confidence begin to grow in him. But, as much as he enjoyed hanging out as a group, he was ready to say goodnight.

One subtle look from his brother and Sasuke immediately got the hint; he was also ready to be alone with his fiancé. His eyes slid over her in a bold caress as he whispered something that caused a deep blush to spread over her face.

"Listen Uchiha," she gritted out in a whisper through clenched teeth. "You are going to pay for that remark."

Sasuke's eyes turned nearly black with desire as he brushed her ear with his mouth, "I know."

Tenten sent him a heated glare, before bidding her friend and Itachi a very hasty, "Good night, and thank you for the celebration."

Sasuke began pulling her in the direction of the guest room he used on the boat, and said over his shoulder, "Good night, we will see you both in the morning." (They had brought extra clothes with them and they were planning to take the boat out tomorrow, since everyone had the day off.)

Now that the other couple had left, Hinata almost felt a little uncomfortable, she wasn't sure about what he wanted to do next, so she walked over to the back of the boat and looked out over the water. This fiancé situation was all so new and sort of awkward; she kind of just wanted to follow his lead.

Itachi came up behind her and placed his arm comfortably around her waist. "It's peaceful looking over the water, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Do you live on the boat all the time?"

"No, I have an apartment downtown," he told her. The commute would have been brutal had he lived this far from work. "I only come out here when I need to think."

"Why did you bring me here, instead of your apartment?" She asked him curiously.

"I wanted you to see it," he told her quietly.

Hinata looked at his face, as the sparkling lights glowed off of it and saw a hint of pride and she knew that when he first brought her here he had wanted to share a part of his life with her regardless of what her decision had been at the time. Still, she couldn't keep a stray thought of jealousy from coming over her as she wondered if he had ever brought anyone of his old girlfriends on board.

Some of her thoughts must have shown on her face, because he smiled slightly and said, "No, I've never brought any the others here. We reserve this boat for family members only."

Hinata felt very glad to hear that, and she was even happier when he began to share how his father had brought the huge boat home years ago when Itachi was about ten years old and they had just moved to America from Japan. The boat had been a complete wreck, covered in barnacles and Fugaku had obtained it as part of a deal he had made with an old shipping yard. The two young boys had immediately taken an interest in it, and they ended up restoring it together as a family.

In the end it took them over ten years and Itachi did a lot of the work during his free time, and Mikoto paid workers to finish the interior and update the appliances. The lovely boat was a special part of their family, one that had helped to keep them all connected as they all worked in different parts of the world.

"You'll have to be part of the crew tomorrow," he told her. "The boat is too large for just one person to sail it."

"Okay," she told him with excitement building in her eyes; it sounded like a lot of fun to her.

When he was silent for a few minutes, her eyes drifted over towards his profile and she saw he looked like he was deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?"

He turned and smiled at her, "Our future."

His eyes stayed on her and for some reason his words made her blush. The whole thought of a future with him seemed to be filled with endless and wonderful possibilities she had longed for, but never allowed herself to dream about. A family, a new career, and a new life - doing things she wanted to, and not because it was expected of her.

Itachi watched her expressive face with a sense of peace. He had given her clues or road signs if you will, hinting at the direction he was thinking of going. Now it just remained to be seen whether or not she was willing to follow him or go in another direction. Either way, he would find a way to work out all their plans and blend them together as seamlessly as possible.

"What kind of plans do you have Itachi?" She asked him, because she didn't know where to start. And she knew with a hundred percent certainty that he did have plans, probably a lot of them.

His eyes were direct and patiently amused, "I want to hear your plans first."

"Um okay," she said and took a little breath. She had a feeling her father has already taken care of her resignation letter, since Mikoto had already talked to him. She would call him tomorrow and discuss it with him.

"Well, like you, I have resigned. But I will still have to remain on the Board of Directors at my father's company."

"Same here," Itachi told her. He knew during the next few months he would still have to be available a lot to help Sasuke transition into the job.

"What do you think about starting a foundation?" She asked him in a hesitant voice.

"I've already broken ground for one in Florida," he admitted with a relieved look on his face.

"Florida," she breathed out. All of that sunshine and the ocean, it seemed like a dream. She looked at him and gave him a rueful smile as she confessed, "I was thinking of building one in Japan, I have already located an empty school building with dormitories outside of Tokyo that would be perfect for it."

Itachi shrugged, "I don't see why we can't create two foundations." However, the businessman within him made him inquire, "Do you have enough money set aside for it?"

Hinata blushed as she knew she was going to have to let him know just how insanely wealthy she really was. "I have enough," she admitted politely. It was sort of hard for her to discuss this issue because after the first kidnapping attempt her father had forbidden her to mention it to anyone.

Itachi watched her closely and he could tell by the look on her face, she was keeping something from him. He always had an inkling she was far wealthier than she had let anyone know. Businessmen usually didn't have the level of security personnel that her father always had placed around her. But none of that mattered to him; he had more than enough money for both of them.

"I have an undisclosed trust fund from my mother, when she died she left a lot of money to me and my sister," she explained in a somewhat retiring voice. "I would like to name the foundation after her, and set up a few scholarships."

"We'll keep the foundations separate and you can always put any funds that are leftover in a trust fund for any children we have down the road," he told her patiently.

"Children," she repeated in a squeaky, choked voice while a gorgeous blush began to glow ethereally over her face. Unknowingly, her eyes were wide pools of longing as she stared up at him.

A small knowing and profound smile touched his lips as he figured out what was in her heart. He watched as she looked down and began poking her fingers together almost anxiously. "Do you want children, Itachi?"

"Yes," he replied while pulling her back into his arms. A sense of well-being settled deep within his psyche. Having her was more than enough of a dream for him, but to have her along with a family would be beyond anything he could have ever asked for.

"You do, really?" Her anxious eyes searched his closely, and she was hardly daring to believe what she was seeing. Hinata looked away in embarrassment and mumbled, "I know it's very old fashioned of me, but ever since I was very little, and I helped raise my younger sister, I always wanted children of my own."

"How many do you want?" He asked her, and some inflection in his voice got her attention and she looked at him.

Hope was dawning in her eyes and in her voice as she whispered, "At least two, possibly more."

Feasting his eyes over her face, he thought his future bride had never looked more beautiful to him than she did now. His hands reached out and placed them over her shoulders. "Two is a good number to start out with," he told her in a serious voice, but the eyes he showed her had a teasing light in them letting her know he would be happy with more. Tears of joy filled her eyes and she buried her face in his chest as she held him close to her and wrapped her arms around his waist.

As she listened to the steady beat of his heart for several moments, she felt like she needed to ask, "Itachi is there anything else you want to do, like travel or start a new business?"

"No, not particularly," he told her offhandedly while his nimble fingers began to systematically undo the loose knot at the base of her head until her dark hair fell in shiny, cascading locks around her shoulders. There was something so oddly alluring about his touch; she glanced at his face but he just looked back at her with a bland look in his eyes.

A small frown dented her forehead as she thought she was just imagining things. "Well, is there anything you want?" She tried again feeling like he was stonewalling her a bit.

"No, just you," he told her quietly.

Hinata stood still as his quiet words washed over her like nothing else could. Warm happiness began to bubble up inside her as she looked up at him and saw how content he was.

It dawned on her that he didn't want anything in return. She was realizing how incredibly unselfish and giving a person he was.

A small smile came over her face as she figured out something he might want to do. "Um Itachi?"

"Yes," he asked patiently.

Her eyes searched his face closely as she asked, "Do you think we could go to Florida this week to go see the property you bought for your foundation?"

The small answering light in his onyx eyes, confirmed to her she had been correct and she breathed out in relief as he answered her, "Yes that would be fine. I will drive us, so you can see the sights along the way."

"That sounds fun," she told him as he wrapped his arms around her. _I love you Itachi. _"I can't wait to go to Florida."

His lips began trailing seductively down her face and when her eyes met his, she began to realize she hadn't misread the way he had been touching her a little bit ago. Her body began to be infused with an exciting warmth as she realized belatedly she was definitely going to have to improve her non-verbal language skills with him.

"Come on, Hinata, let's go to bed," he said in a low voice as he reached out his hand toward her. Her eyes were soft and her heart was beginning to thud as she looked back at him and she had to agree, like him there really wasn't anything more she needed in life. As she felt the warmth of his hand come around hers, she knew having him in her life was more than enough for her.

**Author's Note:** This chapter is so long and took me forever to write as I tried to tie all of the loops together. There are some people I definitely want to send out special thanks to for their help throughout this whole long process, but I will wait until the epilogue. (I am simply too exhausted right now) I am leaning toward a small scene in the future…but I am open to suggestions from all of you. Please share your thoughts with me, I really want to hear from you:)

**Naruto Shippuden:** Anime episodes 331 to 336 have been nothing short of amazing. Watching them has brought a new understanding to me about Sasuke and how deep his love for his brother has been all along. Even during the time when he didn't know the truth about Itachi, I still think he wasn't able to kill his love or bond with him. This chapter of Kismet had parts in it that were my tribute to their brotherly bonds.


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